That Which Pursues
by Shadow Oblivion
Summary: William wondered if Grell was making his life difficult on purpose. It should not take over two weeks to complete a simple mission. Unless that demon was involved. William also didn't think he would have to deal with the aftermath of said mission.
1. Prologue

I finally decided to post this story (since I meant to months ago). I hope to keep the characters IC as much as possible. It is rated T for the time being, so, here's chapter one.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler).

* * *

One's work is never done.

Trust the human world to come up with a saying that applied to the shinigami realm as well. There was always work to be done, whether the one doing it wanted to or not.

It especially applied to one individual in particular, who was still working while others had gone home for the day. That meant that the shinigami dispatch headquarters was more or less silent, allowing the lone worker to focus on the paperwork. Not that William T. Spears minded the silence. In fact, he rather appreciated the added quiet. It allowed him to finish his paperwork in a more timely fashion.

Although no one would know it, William was silently pleased with the progress he had been making. It made William realize that it was a rare occurrence for him to finish early, let alone get caught up. Normally the dark-haired Death God would have to deal with any problems that happened to crop up. That, in turn, meant it would take him a long time to complete anything, as there were usually stacks upon stacks of paperwork to get through. It made William feel as though he would never caught up with his work. Admittedly, most of the paperwork was courtesy of a certain red-head, who apparently couldn't be bothered to stay out of trouble.

William paused in his work, frowning ever so slightly, pen hovering over a piece of paper before him. Speaking of Grell Sutcliff…he had not seen or heard from the other shinigami for at least two weeks…

The dark-haired man sighed. No wonder his office had been so quiet. He had sent Grell on an information and soul-gathering mission that the other had not been too thrilled about. William sighed again and set his pen down, both hands moving up to massage his temples. He recalled the conversation he had had with Grell that day. The red-head had come into his office, complaining about one thing or another. In short, Grell had been making a nuisance of himself and preventing William from making any progress.

_Two weeks earlier…_

William set aside another document that he had completed, and went onto the next one. He more or less ignored the sound of his office door being flung open rather roughly. He was almost certain who it would be, and decided to keep working. William was proven correct in his assumption when he heard the click of heels on his floor as the uninvited guest spoke up irritably.

"Will! Why have you been avoiding me?"

William, in response, said nothing. He opened the document and began to peruse the first page. A petition to put a new regulation in place? William turned the page, frowning down at the details. Were they seriously asking for this under thought idea to be approved? How had it even made its way to him with all these flaws?

Grell pouted unhappily at being blatantly ignored by the man at the desk, but then began to smile mischievously. If that was how the other wanted to play...

William heard a light exhale from the other, which was not unexpected. He hoped that if he ignored Grell long enough, the troublemaker would leave. What William hadn't expected was for Grell to have to gall to pull the document before him to one side and sprawl his upper body onto the desk. William attempted to ignore the saddened eyes Grell was looking up at him with. He wouldn't cave in; he had work to do…although even William couldn't ignore the red-head all but laying on his desk. It interfered with his concentration.

"Grell Sutcliff…remove yourself from my desk…I have work to do, and most of it is from your incompetence."

Grell, in response, pouted more noticeably at him, green eyes gazing imploringly at the dark-haired shinigami from above the glasses perched on his nose.

William was not impressed by this display. Adjusting his glasses, he spoke in a cool voice, "If you do not move, I will remove you myself, with my deathscythe," Said weapon appeared in William's hand, tilted in Grell's direction warningly.

Grell smiled lightly, pointed teeth showing, as he placed a finger on the weapon hovering dangerously close, "Will~ can I have my deathscythe back? I can do my job more easily." Grell used his other hand to finger the document William had in front of him, "You'll have less work to do."

"…No," William replied shortly, as he moved the document safely out of Grell's reach. William wouldn't be able to get anything done like this, not with Grell in his way (whose red hair had cascaded onto the desk, half covering and shifting the paperwork). William's eyebrow twitched.

Grell seemed to sense a change in William, like how the other seemed to be trying to figure out the best way to get him to leave. Grell frowned unhappily. He didn't want to have to leave so soon. Grell tilted his head slightly, offering another small smile up at William, "Please Will? I'll be good. Promise~." Grell attempted to smile in what thought was a sweet way, as he lounged further forward on the desk, one of his hands reaching out to wrap fingers around the tie William wore.

With one swift motion, William thwacked Grell over the head with his deathscythe, but he only managed to succeed in getting Grell to become indignant.

"Don't hit me like that! It's no way to treat a lady!" Grell informed William huffily, as he reluctantly let go of the tie.

William adjusted his glasses again, hands moving to his tie automatically to realign it. At least the annoying red-head had slid off his desk. That was a start. William glanced briefly at Grell, who was now standing in front of his desk, hands on his hips and wearing a look somewhere between hurt and…interest? William sighed lightly. He really didn't need to be dealing with this right now. He was already falling behind in his work, and if this conversation went on much longer, he would take an even longer time to finish. Trust Grell to pick an inconvenient time to pester him.

"Will~iam."

William silenced Grell with a glare before the other could try to say more, no doubt another attempt to get his deathscythe back. Or worse…some of that insufferable flirting, which irritated him to no end. At least the red-head playing with his tie had been tamer than how he usually tried to flirt. William cleared his throat and spoke, "Seeing as you obviously have nothing to do, I have a task for you. It should be simple enough for you to do, even without your modified scythe."

Grell had been listening with some interest, but upon hearing William talk of another (boring) job, he had lost interest quickly. Without his deathscythe that Will had confiscated from him, he had been getting nothing but information gathering jobs, or being told to gather some troublesome souls that the other Death Gods didn't want to bother with.

Not interested.

Grell began to take discreet steps backwards toward the door. Since William was talking without looking at him, he should be able to get out without the other noticing...Grell let out a cry of surprise as William's deathscythe suddenly shot towards him and pinned him against the wall next to the door, "H…Hey!"

"Did I say you could leave?" William questioned, fixing Grell with a hard stare. The red-head abruptly fell silent, shifting uncomfortably, any argument or inappropriate comment he may have made dying in his throat.

Grell held perfectly still, mostly due to the fact that the deathscythe was now resting against his throat, too close for comfort. Grell shifted nervously. The deathscythe was too close to his face, threatening to cut into his pale skin. "W…Will?" He wondered aloud softly.

William recalled the scythe, and as it went back to its regular size, he withheld a sigh. Really…why did he have to put up with Grell? William looked across the room at said shinigami, who currently had one hand to his throat, checking to see if the deathscythe had actually cut into his skin. Which it hadn't. William had made sure of that. He hadn't injured the other, because one, that would be against the rules (though there were some exceptions), and two, he knew he would never hear the end of it from Grell.

Pretending as though nothing had occurred, William spoke again, "As I was saying…"

Grell let his hand drop from his throat and groaned inwardly. He didn't think that William would have actually hurt him with the deathscythe…but still. Grell attempted to pay attention to what the other was saying, even though he really disliked these kinds of missions…he would try and complete them though. If only to see if William would ever praise him, and not just tell him how he could have completed it in a more timely fashion.

"There are no current leads in the disappearances, but you should be able to…"

Grell was more or less listening, even though it sounded like another mission that would take him a long time to complete. Why did he get stuck with these horrible missions?

"…Discretion would be best and...are you listening to me?" William questioned irritably, when he realized that Grell seemed to be distracted, again.

Grell jumped slightly upon William's sudden focus on him and said the first thing that came to mind, "Yes?"

William gave Grell a disapproving look, but continued nonetheless as he now had the other's full attention, "This mission will take you near the Phantomhive mansion…" William ignored the pleased, toothy smile Grell suddenly wore, "You are not to go there. I want this completed to the point that I do not need to fill out any unnecessary paperwork because of you _or_ that demon. Understood?"

Grell, still smiling widely, waved one hand lazily at William as he turned to leave the office, "Yes, yes. Understood~."

The door shut soon after, and William couldn't help but think that this did not bode well. He could only hope that Grell would listen to him, and not go running off after that demon...

_Back to the present._

The dark-hared shinigami shook his head. Either Grell was actually doing what he was supposed to do but taking a long time to finish with locating the souls…or he had become distracted by that demon. William stared at his desk in silence. He would finish his work here, and give Grell another day or so to report in. If he hadn't heard from him by then, William would have to go and check on Grell to see whether he were on task or not. If he wasn't…

William frowned down at one of his remaining documents. It would mean extra paperwork and overtime for him.

Joy.

* * *

This was originally going to be a one-shot, but in Sept./Nov., I decided to make it a chapter story (it's about halfway written, so I have an idea of where the story is headed). It's kind of a Grell/ William and Grell/ Sebastian, with hints of Grell / Undertaker, although it's only in Grell's mind for now. It may focus on one later on in the story, but that's still up in the air at the moment.

Let me know what you think and let me know if there are any errors-I beta chapters myself. I'm basing this story off of both the manga and the anime.

Hope to get the next chapter up soon.


	2. Detour of Pain

I want to thank ayafangirl and Savvi-Sin for for letting me know that the characters were IC, and to the anon. reviewer for saying it was funny. I'm always a bit concerned about the first chapter of a story, so thanks again for letting me know what you thought about it. All three of you motivated me to get the next chapter up sooner. This one hints at Grell/Sebastian, though Sebastian doesn't appreciate it and shows his displeasure.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler).

* * *

It was after midnight in London. No one was out, except for a certain someone with red hair, the color clearly standing out in the gloom of the night. A certain someone who was clearly unhappy about their current situation. A certain someone who would have run back to headquarters to complain about how unfair it was, only to be thrown out by a cold-hearted man that wanted him to do his job regardless of how hard it was.

Grell flopped down to the ground all of a sudden; he was too exhausted to care that he was lying in the middle of the street. Nor did it bother him that his clothing was getting dirty. It already was, seeing as Grell hadn't gotten the chance to clean them yet. It didn't matter that he was out on the street, as no one would be out this late at night anyway…Well, there were a few carriages here and there, but nowhere in his immediate vicinity. Grell would hear if one were headed his way, so the shinigami lay still as he thought about his current predicament.

He had been walking for nearly the whole day, and hadn't found anything remotely useful about where the souls he was supposed to collect were. About the only useful piece of information he had to go one was in his book, where it was written that the men were involved in the occult. Grell had tried to find them where they were last seen, but the men seemed to have decided to move somewhere else, before he could find them, giving him more work to do. Attempting to track them down was useless without any new information to go one.

Which was why, after two weeks, Grell still hadn't found out anything useful that would help him find the people sooner. Damn William, sending him out on boring missions with dead ends. Being so cold and not listening to his previous complaints about the work he had been having to do. Not even for this job. No, all William did with his protests was either glare at him, lecture him or say something to the effect of 'do your job already.' Grell supposed the last two were similar. Why was he even thinking about this right now?

Grell closed his eyes and sighed dramatically, laying on his stomach, and jabbing at the ground moodily with one finger. Not only did he have no leads, he hadn't even gotten his custom-made deathscythe back for this mission. William apparently thought he could make do without it. Oh…how he longed to feel those vibrations again, and the thrill of chasing and cutting...Grell spaced out dreamily, images of chasing a certain red-eyed man, engaging in a deadly dance... seeing that beautiful red color blossoming out before him like…

Grell let out a sigh of longing as he finished the thought of what he could do with that kind of power back in his hands. Yes...if only he had it...perhaps he could make his fantasies a reality. Grell had been so close last time when he had confronted the butler for the first time in a battle. Grell had been playing around that time, but the next time he got to fight with him...yes...

The daydream of violent death and destruction made the shinigami unaware of the horse-drawn carriage that was suddenly headed directly toward where he lay lamenting silently, and moving at a rather fast pace than most carriages would normally go. Nor was the carriage usually guided by a dark figure that was pleased that he would have some entertainment tonight.

Holding the reins, Sebastian ignored the fact that Grell was sprawled out face down on the ground, and allowed the horses to continue on their way. His lips curled up into an expression of amusement when the death god finally noticed the carriage bearing down the street right at him.

Grell, at first, felt pleased to see Sebastian, but the feeling vanished, replaced with astonishment, then fear, as soon as he realized that the carriage wasn't going to stop. Sebastian meant to run him over? Grell half rose, thinking to dive out of the way, but the carriage was moving too fast. He wouldn't be able to move out of the way quickly enough…

This was going to hurt. Hopefully the wheels would avoid his face…

121

Inside the carriage, Ciel was half dozing, exhausted. He and Sebastian were headed back home after a long day of investigating. With nothing to go on, Ciel had decided to head back to the mansion for the time being. He would have Sebastian gather information on the case either tonight or in the morning. Ciel would wait until they got back to decide on what course to take. Hopefully the mansion hadn't been burned down...

The carriage was suddenly jostled roughly, the bump accompanied by a strangled cry of indignation. Whatever they had hit caused Ciel to be thrown to the opposite side of the carriage, waking the boy up all the way and putting him on alert. Ciel glanced out the window as the carriage continued on its way as if nothing had happened. Had they run over someone? It had sure sounded like it. The voice had also seemed somewhat familiar...

"Sebastian. Stop the carriage."

The carriage stopped soon after the order had been given, and Sebastian opened the door, bowing, "What is it, young master? We are nearly to the mansion."

Ciel eyed the dark haired demon butler silently for a moment, then, "What did we run over?" And was it still alive?

Without any hint of shame, Sebastian responded with a smile, "Grell."

"Grell?" Well, at least that explained why he had recognized the cry, but what was that death god doing around here? Was he perhaps investigating something as well? There was a slim possibility that it was related to what Ciel and Sebastian were looking into...not much else was going on in London at the moment. Sebastian stepped back to allow Ciel to come out of the carriage.

Ciel eyed the twitching form of Grell several paces behind the carriage, "..." Coming to some internal decision, Ciel climbed up to the driver's seat and picked up the reins, "The mansion isn't much further, as you said. I'll go back myself. Return to the mansion with Grell. I want to speak with him." Ciel didn't catch the look of displeasure cross Sebastian's face as he was preoccupied with urging the horses into motion. "Don't let him skulk off. He may know something we don't," Ciel called over his shoulder.

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian responded with a bow, and watched as Ciel and the carriage went down the street in the direction of the mansion. When it was out of view, Sebastian leaned to one side, neatly avoiding Grell, who had snuck up being him in an attempt to hug him. Sebastian watched dispassionately as Grell kept going, crashing into the ground face first. Serves him right for trying to do that. Same as ever, that one.

Grell lay twitching for a moment, before leaping to his feet, glaring daggers at Sebastian, stomping one foot down, "You did that on purpose, knowing I'd land on my face! How dare you treat a lady like that! You horrible man!" Grell abruptly fell silent and took a step back when he saw Sebastian's eyes flash in the gloom, "W...What?" Grell managed to question in a flustered voice.

"You heard the young master, yes?" Sebastian queried in a soft, dangerous sounding voice, "I am to take you to the mansion with me..." Sebastian immediately regretted the tone of voice he had used, as Grell had gone from hesitant to absolutely ecstatic.

The shinigami struck what he thought was a seductive pose, letting one hand run through his long red hair, the other hand resting on his hip, "Ooh, I love it when you're all serious! It gives me the shivers~!" Grell crossed his arms and winked at Sebastian with a wide smile on his lips, "What if I say no to going with you? Hmm? Will you come after me?" Grell winked again playfully and blew a kiss, a heart bouncing past a thoroughly disturbed Sebastian.

The demon sighed, "Please cease those disgusting comments."

This, however, merely encouraged Grell, who did a dance on the spot and twirled, "Ooh Sebas-chan~! I love it when you talk like that too! So cold~!" Grell dashed forward, throwing his arms out as if to trap Sebastian in his embrace, "Do I get my kiss yet?"

Sebastian's face showed extreme displeasure, before changing into a faint smirk.

Grell was too focused on attempting to drape himself on Sebastian that he didn't notice the other's change in expression. Had Grell noticed, he would have changed directions immediately. The shinigami would have recognized the smile as a prelude to pain and suffering. Not for Sebastian, but for Grell himself. It was the same smile Sebastian had worn when he was preparing to beat Grell to a pulp during the Jack the Ripper case.

Sebastian ducked gracefully beneath Grell's flying leap, and turned in time to see Grell hit the ground face first again. Sebastian waited silently as the Death God lay there. After a few moments, Sebastian sighed, one hand covering his mouth, "Oh...At this rate, I'll be late for preparing tomorrow's breakfast." Sebastian let his hand drop and eyed the shinigami on the ground distastefully.

Grell struggled to his feet, occupying himself by brushing his clothing off, to cover his embarrassment. He fussed with his hair for a moment, before casting a coy look over his shoulder at Sebastian. There was a stretch of silence, before Grell suddenly broke into a run, his heels clicking audibly as he called over his shoulder to the other, "That little shrimp ordered you to bring me with you, right? Then come and get me, Sebas-chan~!" Grell laughed happily as he sped up, exhilarated with the thought of Sebastian chasing him.

Annoyingly, Ciel had told him to take the redhead back with him. Sebastian watched the other run with a blank face, marveling at the obvious pleasure Grell seemed to be getting out of this. It didn't make much sense. Sebastian closed his eyes, momentarily irked, as he cracked his knuckles. Sebastian's eyes snapped open and he was gone from view, after the red-head instantly. Perhaps he'd play the other's game, for a little while.

There was a short silence, broken when Sebastian caught up with Grell, aiming a punch at the other's face, who barely managed to avoid the blow.

Grell landed a short distance away, holding back an angry comment about aiming for his face, as he backed away uncertainly. Sebastian was approaching him slowly. Grell had been expecting Sebastian to do something more violent than the attempted punch, and was not sure what to think of Sebastian coming toward him with a terrifying gleam in his eyes. Maybe it was a bad idea to test the demon's patience...

Sebastian smiled lightly, until he had Grell trapped against a nearby building. Resting his hands on the wall on either side of the shinigami, Sebastian leaned closer until he was face to face with an even more flustered Grell. Almost able to feel the fear and apprehension rolling off of Grell, Sebastian considered his options. He could just beat him now that he had him cornered, but...Sebastian smiled again, almost evilly. He would tease Grell a little bit. It was entertaining to see him disappointed.

Grell held perfectly still as one gloved hand reached up and traced a line along his jawline, down to his throat, as the right hand wrapped around his waist slightly, "S..Sebas-chan?"

"..." Sebastian said nothing, merely moving the hand that had been trailing along the others' throat to rest on Grell's left shoulder. Sebastian waited as the tension rose between them, until he saw the look of frustration in the other's eyes. Thinking he would cease the small teasing session, Sebastian leaned away from the shinigami, at the same time tightening his grasp. Then, without warning, he twisted and threw the other down to the ground on his back without a moment's hesitation.

"Ahh!"

"Hmpf." Sebastian stared down at Grell, whom he had pinned to the ground with one foot. It had been sickeningly easy to make the other lower his guard.

Grell struggled to get the foot off of his chest (although it was better than the demon's foot in his face again) but eventually gave up. The shinigami looked up at the red-eyed demon, a hopeful look on his face, "S...Sebas-chan...You'll be nice to me, right? I was only joking about running away." He didn't dare mention what the demon had just done. From the way Sebastian was acting now, the demon must have been teasing him. Which really bothered him, but knew it was useless to try and argue with Sebastian right now.

"..."

Grell saw Sebastian's eyes glinting and swiftly covered his face with his arms, whining, "Please, not the face...Ahgh!" Grell let out a cry as Sebastian lifted his foot off his chest and brought it down, hard, onto the arms the other was using to protect his face. Seeing Sebastian's cold gaze from between his arms, Grell let out another soft sound of pain, wondering if it was his bones in his arms creaking. Grell quickly considered his options, before twisting to one side, accepting a swift punch to the left side of his face. In return, he was able to curl up into a ball in an attempt to block the blows aimed at his head.

Too bad Sebastian decided to pick up and throw Grell along the street, foiling his brilliant plan. Attempting to gain his balance and not plow face first into the hard ground again, Grell left himself open. Perhaps he should have just hit the ground. Instead, Sebastian's fist connected with the other side of his face. Grell closed his eyes, preparing himself for a beating.

A few moments later...

Sebastian calmly checked his pocket watch, pleased to see that this little detour had still allowed him enough time to prepare a small midnight snack for Ciel. While it probably wasn't what the young master wanted, he'd have to make do with what he was given (breakfast was also looking to be smaller than usual), as he had had to retrieve Grell on Ciel's orders. Stowing the pocket watch, Sebastian began to walk. He was unsuccessfully trying to ignore the beaten up Death God that he had slung over his shoulder. It was hard to do, as Grell had recovered sufficiently and was trying to inch his way down the demon's back in an attempt to try to do something inappropriate. Sebastian's arm tightened around Grell's thighs, preventing the others progress.

Sebastian could almost see the smile Grell wore on his bruised, battered and bloodied face. Courtesy of Sebastian's excellent hand to hand combat. Sebastian could not, however, block out the fact that Grell's head was hanging dangerously close to his backside...nor could he ignore the other's pleased comments.

"You do have a nice little ass. No wonder Madam Red was fondling it..." Grell tried to move one of his arms, but found that he couldn't, "...Ehh?"

Pushing aside the disturbing notion of Grell trying to ogle his posterior, Sebastian's lips curled in amusement. He had made sure to restrain Grell's arms to prevent any unwanted flirting, and was entertained that it had taken Grell so long to realize that his arms had been tangled up in his own red coat.

"Sebas-chan! You stingy bastard!" Grell complained unhappily, tugging in a vain attempt to free his arms.

Declining to grace Grell with an answer, Sebastian instead glanced around the empty night street. Deducing that no one was in the immediate area, Sebastian shifted his grip on Grell, and leapt off into the air without warning at a blinding speed. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, ignoring Grell's yelps of "Gently!" There were occasional pained cries as Sebastian continued on his way. Who said he couldn't knock the shinigami around occasionally or drop him?

Drop.

"S...Sebas-chan~."

Not that any kind of physical punishment or abuse would deter the other's thought process. Pity. Sebastian allowed himself a light sigh as he continued on his way to the mansion. Hopefully there had been no incidents there...

Grell went limp once he realized that he couldn't get free, but smiled lopsidedly. Putting aside any violence, he rather enjoyed being carried by Sebastian. Now, if he could only get that kiss...The shinigami had more or less forgotten about his mission. Had he been thinking about it, Grell would have been more concerned with what would happen if William caught him not doing his job.

Sebastian picked up the pace, wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between himself and Grell, as soon as possible. Why Ciel had insisted bringing_ this_ to the mansion, he had no idea, other than the fact that yes, Grell might know something they didn't. Which was doubtful in Sebastians' mind, if previous encounters with the other suggested. When he had a break, Sebastian would have to go see_ her_.

Yes…that was the only thing that would soothe the madness the morning was almost certain to bring.

121

A black cat paced in the garden of the Phantomhive mansion. She paused in her walk, as though she had heard something. The cat tilted her head to one side, tail twitching, "Meow?" The black cat then began cleaning herself, ignoring the fact that impeding doom could erupt from the mansion at any moment, even this late at night. The cat halted her activity momentarily to observe Finny dart past her, looking frantic about something. Deciding that whatever it was didn't concern her and that nothing was amiss, the cat went back to cleaning herself.

Cats need not bother themselves with anything so trivial.

* * *

I feel bad for Grell, but hey, he gets to go to the mansion with Sebastian when William told him not to. The cat part amused me for some reason. Hmm, I hope that the characters (especially Sebastian) are as IC as possible. Sebastian can be hard to write. Especially if Ciel isn't around to tell Sebastian to behave. The next few chapters will have hints of Grell/Sebastian, and Grell/ Undertaker. The William/Grell won't be back until later on in the story (based on what I've written of the story so far, it looks like it may eventually end up William/Grell). I suppose I'll worry about that when I get to it.

Anyway...

I'll probably update again within a week, as I'm having fun writing it.


	3. Deal Breaker 1

Yeah, I'm attempting to make Ciel less dependent on Sebastian in this story because it'll help him make a choice Sebastian isn't too keen on. And William being William, he won't find out what Grell's up to until he decides to go see for himself later on. And he won't like what he finds (By the way, there is more than just humor/romance in the story).

Disclaimer: Nope, I still own nothing.

* * *

Inside the Phantomhive mansion, Ciel had returned without any mishaps, and was currently seated at his desk. He was pouring through letters he had received that day, as well as some of the unofficial information he and Sebastian had gathered. Namely, info from the people on the street going about their business. Not that it had exactly helped with the investigation Ciel had taken on the day before. Dead ends whenever he thought there had been a reliable lead.

Ciel frowned in irritation as he added a few pieces of paper to a growing pile of useless information and rejected invitations. Why wasn't there any concrete evidence? Was there really no new information from today? Ciel was tired, but he was bound and determined to find something before Sebastian returned. He could almost see that condescending smile, which was why Ciel was still awake. Sebastian could carry him to his room if he wanted him to sleep. He was staying here until he found something.

Ciel picked up a piece of paper to look through it for something potentially useful, when a sudden explosion rocked the mansion.

Sha…BOOOM…crackacracka…ssssss…

Ciel dropped the paper in shock. _'W…What was that?' _Ciel half-rose, before dropping back down onto his chair with a sigh_. 'Sebastian should be back soon…he can deal with whatever that was…'_ Ciel picked the piece of paper back up. _'It was probably Bard destroying the kitchen in an attempt to try a new way of cooking.'_ Ciel sighed. _'Again.' _

Ciel wondered vaguely how much money had been put into repairing the kitchen. _'Not to mention anything else that goes wrong in the mansion...'_ Ciel scanned through the first few sentences, before he was once again interrupted.

A single knock sounded on the door.

Ciel recognized it as Sebastian's and spoke, "Come in." Ciel looked up in time to see the demon butler enter the room and bow slightly, "I've prepared a snack. Would you like me to bring it here?"

Ciel noted that Sebastian was alone, "Did you bring Grell with you?"

"Yes. He is in the entrance hall. He won't be going anywhere anytime soon. I'll fetch him in the morning when you want to speak with him."

Sebastian said this in a tone that made Ciel believe that he had restrained Grell in some way. Otherwise, the shinigami would have followed after him. No doubt falling over himself in an attempt to try and get Sebastian to notice him...

"I see…" Ciel stared down at the notes and letters scattered all over the desk and yawned, realizing how tired he was, "It's late, Sebastian. I'll have the snack as a part of my breakfast. I'm going to bed." Ciel yawned again, "Would you be able to gather more information tonight or tomorrow morning, regarding the investigation?"

'_Leaving it for tomorrow, again?' _ Sebastian held in a sigh, bowing once more, "Yes, my lord. I can see to it tonight. You may compare it with what the death god knows tomorrow."

Ciel nodded sleepily, allowing Sebastian to take him to his bedroom and put him to bed.

Sebastian made sure the window was locked, before pulling the drapes closed. He picked up the candelabra and exited the room as soon as he had deduced the Ciel was sleeping. Sebastian headed down the darkened hall, the candle the only source of light. Sebastian smiled to himself and blew out the candles, shrouding the hall in darkness.

It was time to get to work.

121

Grell had thought that he'd get to at least be with Sebastian at the mansion, but when they had reached the mansion, the demon had made sure to prevent that from happening. Grell had tried reasoning with Sebastian against what he was going to do, but of course, Sebastian ignored him and went through with his idea of restraints. The redhead sighed. That had been ten minutes ago...

Grell was dangling unhappily from a rope in the entrance hall, but was secretly glad that he wasn't hanging by his neck. Instead, the rope had been looped around his coat tethered arms, and around his chest, the rope attached to the ceiling. Grell was still trying to figure out how Sebastian had managed that.

Grell tested the rope's strength, before going limp again, wondering just how Sebastian managed to tie the rope so securely, that even _he _couldn't free himself from it. Grell began to smile and sway to and fro through the air, recalling that Sebastian had mentioned something about being able to tie cherry stalks with his tongue. It made Grell curious as to whether or not Sebastian had been serious when he made that statement. Grell smiled dreamily, "Sebas-chan…where did you go~? Why did you leave me here, all alone and lonely~?"

Something hit Grell directly in the face, followed by a low command of, "Quiet."

Pushing aside the fact that he had been hit in the face, again, Grell caught sight of Sebastian leaving the mansion. Grell wriggled around within the rope he was bound with, and let out a sigh of longing, "Ooh~ Sebas-chan~." Intent on Sebastian as he was, Grell wasn't thinking about what would happen if William found out he was actually in the mansion, when he had been specifically told not to go to the mansion to see 'the demon.'

Finny edged along the walls of the entrance hall, casting nervous glances up at the swaying shinigami talking about Sebastian as he headed to bed. The redhead looked…somewhat familiar. But…why was he here in the mansion anyway? Finny yawned. Well, there was no use worrying about it this late at night. He'd probably find out in the morning. Finny continued on his way to bed, wondering if Bard would be scolded by Sebastian for destroying the kitchen, again.

Tanaka, seated nearby, took a sip of his tea, "Ho, ho, hoh."

121

The next morning…

"Young master, it's time to wake up."

."…zzz…"

Twitch. "Young master…"

Swat. "…mmm..no…"

A sigh. Sebastian stared down at Ciel, who had wrapped himself more securely in the blankets, clearly showing that he had no intention of getting up anytime soon. This wouldn't do.

Drastic measures were called for…

121

Sebastian was puzzled as he headed for the entrance hall. All he had done was unroll the blankets from the boy and drop him onto the floor. Why Ciel had ordered him out of the room was confusing. Ciel was the one who wasn't cooperating.

Sebastian began walking down the stairs of the entrance hall, and paused, one eyebrow twitching. His untimely departure from his master's room was moments ago, letting Ciel deal with breakfast. Well…Ciel _had_ ordered him out of the room to go get Grell…which led to the scene before him.

Grell had somehow managed to get down from where he had been hanging from the ceiling and was currently in the process of chasing Brad, Finny and Meyrin, demanding to be untied. Tanaka was seated in a corner, drinking tea, and being more or less ignored by the others. Grell stopped his pursuit as soon as he spotted Sebastian. The shinigami made an immediate beeline for the understandably unimpressed demon, "Sebas…chan~!"

Sebastian halted Grell's progress by grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, "Behave, or I'll drag you by your hair."

Grell made an unhappy sound at the very thought, but when Sebastian began to head back to Ciel's room, Grell tried to keep up with him. Sebastian managed to drag the death god anyway, which elicited an immediate response, "He…hey! This is not the way you treat someone so delicate, you know!" Grell made a strangled sound when Sebastian shot a narrowed glare over his shoulder.

Sebastian started walking again when he saw the other look away. Sebastian held in a sigh. Really. Why Ciel wanted _this_ here was beyond him. There was no doubt in the demon's mind that Grell knew nothing useful.

Grell fell into a huffy silence, disappointed that Sebastian was now ignoring him. Grell pouted. How dare he ignore him! His face still smarted from the beating the previous night, not to mention being hit in the face by a flying object soon after the beating. Grell frowned suddenly. What would the brat and Sebastian do to him when they found out he knew nothing useful? Grell smirked faintly. Maybe he could investigate with Sebastian…somewhere dark...and _all_ alone… "Ahh! What was that for?" Grell demanded, head stinging from where Sebastian had just hit him. Grell twisted slightly, and found that Sebastian wasn't looking at him. Instead, the demon's eyes were on the door to Ciel's room.

"…You were thinking something disgusting, weren't you?" Sebastian questioned.

Grell grinned cheerfully, managing to twist in Sebastian's grasp and lean against him, winking, "Sebastian~! How did you know I was thinking about you?"

"…" Sebastian said nothing in reply, other than to pull him away, knocking on the door before entering. Sebastian pushed Grell forward, "I've brought the information I've gathered, and this," Sebastian let go of Grell, indicating the annoyed 'this' as the shinigami prevented himself from hitting the ground face first.

Grell pushed himself up as well as he could with his arms pinioned, pouting. Sebastian didn't have to be so rude.

Whether Ciel wanted to bother Sebastian further, or to stop the death god from pouting (which was a disturbing sight, considering what he was capable of) Ciel spoke in a monotone voice, "Sebastian, untie him."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian responded in an equally monotone voice, after catching a faint trace of amusement in Ciel's voice. Sebastian reluctantly untied Grell, and tugged the other's arms free from the red coat.

Grell adjusted his red coat fussily, before focusing his attention on Sebastian, a glint in his green eyes behind the red rimmed glasses.

Sebastian took an abrupt step back in response, cleanly avoiding a hug from the other. Pretending as though nothing had happened, Sebastian went forward to Ciel's desk, setting down a think stack of papers, saying, "This is what I found based upon what you asked to be investigated." Sebastian sidestepped to the right, as Grell tried to hug him from behind, plowing face first into the desk.

Grell stood up and staggered back, shaking his head as though trying to clear it from its meeting with solid wood, rubbing gingerly at his nose and throwing Sebastian an offended look.

Sebastian's face showed no sympathy for the shinigami.

This, of course, started up an argument, mostly consisting off Grell saying how horrible Sebastian was for avoiding him, and the demon not giving a damn.

Ciel decided not to comment on this spectacle, although his mind was slowly turning over the fact that Sebastian did appear uncomfortable, disturbed and irritated with Grell. Putting this aside for the time being, Ciel spoke to the red head, "Grell, are you investigating the group that is involved in the recent murders, who have ties to the occult?"

Grell turned his attention to Ciel and seemed to consider the boy for a moment before replying, "Yes, William asked me to look into it…" He declined to mention the there were a few souls he had been told to take care of. Grell knew William would be mad at him if he were to mention souls in front of Sebastian. Grell shook his head and instead complained, "He keeps giving me difficult missions…meanie."

Ciel realized then that Grell didn't know anymore than he did, and Ciel wondered if Sebastian already figured it out. With another glance between the demon and the shinigami, an idea was sparked. Holding back a smile, Ciel turned to Sebastian, "Could you go check on the others and make sure no more explosions occur? Oh, and see if the kitchens are still usable, or if we'll need to replace it again. Right now, I'd like to speak to Grell, alone."

This time, Ciel saw what looked like displeasure pass across Sebastian's face as he bowed.

"Yes, I'll attend to it," Sebastian exited the room, shutting the door roughly, right in Grell's face as the shinigami had tried to follow after him.

"Sebas-chan! Why must you keep attacking my lovely face?"

Ciel most defiantly had a plan now, and the red-haired death god was a part of it.

Grell grumbled something to the effect that Sebastian also shouldn't slam doors in a lady's face.

Ciel ignored the feminine reference, and spoke before Grell could say anything more, "Have you found any leads? Or are you only looking for one person as opposed to the group?"

Grell shrugged, turning away from the door and putting a hand on his hip, "I'm looking for a few of them, actually, not that the leads I did find were useful…I'm having a hard time locating them."

Seeing Grell glance over his shoulder at the door, Ciel quickly picked up one of the pieces of paper Sebastian had set down on his desk. Something caught his eye, and Ciel questioned the slowly retreating shinigami without looking up, "Grell..have you already checked out this lead?"

Ciel tensed as Grell was suddenly looming over his shoulder to read the indicated paper. There was a silence as Grell read with a thoughtful expression, before he let out a small sound of surprise, "Ehh?"

"Grell?" Ciel twitched as the shinigami sized the piece of paper out of his hands, staring at it.

The surprise was soon replaced by a small frown as Grell thought about something. Then, he smiled slightly as he spoke, "Sebastian found this, didn't he?"

"Yes, last night I asked him to go gather information…" Ciel responded, waiting patiently as Grell hopped around the room in a fit of rage, waving the sheet of paper aloft.

"Sebas-chan! You went off for_ this_ and left me all alone last night? You brute!" Grell made as if to rip the paper, holding it before him as if it were contaminated, "I should tear this up!" Grell suddenly dropped the sheet of paper back onto the desk and sunk to the ground, sighing in a woebegone voice "Ah, why didn't you take me with you? No fair!"

Ciel, unimpressed yet disturbed by this, spoke up, "Seeing as I have work to do, why don't you go check out this lead?"

Grell was back on his feet, huffily placing his hands on his hips and looking away, "Why should I investigate things for brats?"

Ciel scowled at the word 'brats' but the idea he had thought of made him overlook it, for now. "I was going to send Sebastian to check out the lead on his own, so if you're not interested, that's fine…" Ciel leaned back in his chair as Grell had all but thrown himself on the desk, a wide smile on his face again, all the pointed teeth showing.

"Alone. With Sebastian?"

Ciel, unnerved as he was, decided to take advantage of the situation, "Yes, that's what I was saying…" If it meant inconveniencing Sebastian, then he would do whatever he could to accomplish that.

Before Grell could really think of being alone with Sebastian, said demon entered the room again after knocking. Grell threw himself off the desk and at Sebastian enthusiastically, "Sebas-umpf!"

Sebastian had, once again, side stepped Grell, at the same time tripping the shinigami and causing him to fall to the ground. Sebastian approached Ciel's desk and bowed, "Bard destroyed the kitchen (again). I've dealt with it accordingly," Sebastian said with a rather chilling smile.

It took Ciel a lot of willpower not to shiver at the tone, and decided that he did not want to know what Sebastian had done. So, he ignored it, "Sebastian, I want you to go and check the lead you've found. The one about the graveyard. As the group is presumed to be active only at night, you will go tonight."

Sebastian bowed again, "Yes, my lord." That damn smile was still in place…

Ciel's lips curled into an almost smile, "Good, and Grell will be accompanying you. He's offered to help, as his job appears to overlap our investigation." As soon as he finished speaking he thought, _'Take that.'_

Sebastian's smile had faltered, and his body had frozen in place as soon as he had stood up from the bow, "What was…that?"

Ciel held back a pleased smile. So, Grell _did_ bother Sebastian enough to through him off his usually calm demeanor. Acting as though what he had said was no big deal, Ciel responded with, "Having a shinigami may prove useful, right?" _'And inconvenience you with an annoyance I don't want to be bothered with.'_

Sebastian, on the other hand, did seem to see a problem. Thrown off, Sebastian didn't see Grell sidle up to him and wrap his arms around one of his. Sebastian only noticed Grell clinging to him when the other rested his head against his shoulder, sighing happily.

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched, displeased with this, and turned his eyes to Ciel to gauge his reaction to what Grell was doing.

Ciel was still looking at Sebastian as though he didn't think anything was amiss.

Sebastian, however, did think this display Grell was doing was wrong, and he knew that Ciel had to have realized by now that Grell annoyed him …Sebastian's eyes widened a bit, then narrowed at the innocent looking Ciel._ 'Conniving little…'_ Sebastian calmed himself. Now was not the time. Feeling Grell trying to get closer, Sebastian decided to deal with the shinigami's behavior first, "Let go. Now." The red head didn't, and Sebastian could almost see the teasing little smile the other wore, as he shook his head and snuggled closer.

Ciel decided to take pity on Sebastian…at the moment anyway. "If you could let go of him Grell…it's almost lunchtime." This drew a huff from Grell.

Sebastian believed that Grell was getting ready to complain and put up a fight, telling Ciel not to order him around. Sebastian was understandably surprised when Grell reluctantly let go with a small sound of disappointment.

Grell stood silently for a moment, looking at Sebastian, before eying Ciel, "When are you going to honor that promise you made to me?" He questioned quite suddenly.

There was a stretch of silence.

"Well?" Came Grell's impatient voice.

"Young master?" Sebastian's tone was confused yet suspicious.

Well, that was an interesting bit of information to bring up with Sebastian in the room.

Ciel attempted to gather his thoughts. It was hard to accomplish with two pairs of equally serious eyes staring at him, waiting for him to speak and answer their questions.

121212

Ciel, you're in so much trouble with Sebastian, making deals behind his back. Tsk, I fail on making explosion sounds. Next chapter (up soon, because it connects with this one) will be in the mansion for a bit more, before Ciel decides to go visit Undertaker with Grell (and yes, I'm making Sebastian a sadistic bastard, because eventually this story will be WilliamxGrell).


	4. Deal Breaker 2

This chapter connects with the third (both set up part of the plot). William contemplates while Ciel and Grell discuss things and Sebastian gets more and more disturbed by their conversation.

Disclaimer: Nope, I still own nothing from Kuroshitsuji.

* * *

William was getting behind in his work. It irked him because there was no excuse that he should be getting so far behind. William didn't even know why...well, he knew that part of it was because he hadn't heard any news of Grell for the past fifteen days. He should have collected the souls by now, but Grell being Grell, had probably run into some kind of trouble.

William dropped his pen and massaged his temples again for the third time that day. He couldn't work like this. He wasn't making any progress. For some unknown reason, Grell not being around made him unfocused and distracted. William frowned. No...perhaps it was because he hadn't heard anything, and that made him wonder if the redhead had gotten his work done. That was it. If the other hadn't, William would have to do it himself, and that would mean overtime...again.

William looked at the stack of papers on his desk, then the time. He'd work for a few hours more, and if Grell still hadn't shown up, he'd go and find the other shinigami. If he was merely having a hard time locating the souls, maybe he'd be more lenient. William adjusted his glasses and scowled. But if Grell was flirting with that demon again...he was going to have to do something about it. Why Grell even found the demon fascinating was beyond William. The demon obviously didn't like Grell, but Grell didn't seem to care whether the demon did or not. William frowned down at the paper in front of him, not really seeing it as he thought about the state he had found Grell in during the Jack the Riper case.

Grell had been beaten up, mostly in the face, which meant Grell had probably told the demon not to hit. So, it seemed the demon had ignored the plea and went for the aforementioned place. Grell had appeared to be happy to see him, but the other shinigami had already been stressed about finding all the violations, and had been in no mood for Grell to try any means to get out of trouble or listen to whatever he had been about to say.

In a way, he had saved Grell, considering the demon had tried to kill him with his own deathscythe. William hadn't liked the look he had seen in the demon eyes for that split second...

Perhaps he shouldn't have stomped so heavily on the back of Grell's head, but he had been angry at the moment at all of the problems the redhead had caused, including the ridiculous amount of overtime he had had to do because of it. And had even had to take on some jobs that had been for Grell while the other underwent punishment.

William came back to reality in the form of paperwork.

Grell had better just be lost, because if he was near that demon...

William sighed.

He didn't know what he would do. There was some lingering feeling that the dark-haired shinigami felt...but he denied it was there. He wasn't worried about Grell. William didn't care that the redhead had been so infatuated with the demon. He didn't care that Grell looked at the demon with that adoring expression even if the demon beat him up. He didn't care...

Dammit.

William sighed and set the pen done once more. He had to go, now. It would more than likely take him hours to find Grell, so he may as well start now. William left his office after a moment, and decided to try and find the group of people that Grell had been told to find. If he found them, he should find Grell.

Because really, after everything that had happened, Grell should have learned his lesson and at least made sure to get his job done.

William could only hope that was the case.

121

Ciel kept a neutral expression as he mulled over Grell's statement of a promise (or deal). Ciel recalled that he had asked Grell to protect him when he went to rescue Elizabeth. In exchange, he had said that the shinigami could do whatever he wanted to with Sebastian for a day. While Ciel wouldn't exactly say that Grell had done a good job of protecting him (other than making the first doll drop him), Ciel reminded himself that he wanted to inconvenience Sebastian.

Ciel realized that he was staring at his desk, so he raised his head and found Grell staring down at him impatiently. Casting a look over at Sebastian, who appeared unhappy that he had made a deal, looked back at the waiting death god. Oh, Ciel was so going to let Grell have that day, but not until he had a little chat with the shinigami to set down a few rules. He wouldn't want to be bothered with any complaints from either of them. Although...how to speak to Grell without Sebastian listening in. Or he could, Ciel reflected, if he wanted to know what fate had in store for him.

Ciel looked up at Grell again, "I remember, Grell. Would you mind accompanying me for a bit? We can work out the details while Sebastian is working on lunch."

Grell offered a very pleased smile, while Sebastian looked as if he were going to lose his cool at any moment, "Young master...why not just talk to him here?"

Ciel matched Sebastian's wavering smile with a small one of his own, "Oh, I needed to have a chat with Undertaker, to see if he'll assist you and Grell tonight. Why not hold a conversation on the way there?" Ciel enjoyed the look of frustration appear on Sebastian's normally composed face. Ciel stood up and walked toward the door, followed by Grell, who was nearly bursting with happiness. Ciel glanced over his shoulder at Sebastian, who was still in the same place as before, "We'll return in time for lunch. Make sure the others don't destroy the mansion while I'm gone."

"..."

Ciel blinked, his uncovered eye widening. Sebastian...not answering? Did it have to do with the fact that Grell bothered him to the point that he had become distracted? Or was it because Sebastian had realized that he was enjoying the idea of making him potentially miserable? "Sebastian?"

Sebastian shook his head a little and half-turned to offer a small smile, "A late lunch, yes?"

So he _had_ heard him. Ciel nodded, and was about to leave, when Sebastian spoke up in a low tone.

"Why would you make a deal...with him?"

So that was what was bothering the demon. It was odd to almost hear the hint of hurt in the other's voice, but Ciel decided he imagined it as he responded with an amused smirk, "I needed someone to protect me while I went to go look for Elizabeth." _'While you didn't show up until later...and acted creepy.' _A singing Sebastian disturbed Ciel, and he hoped to never witness it again.

Sebastian's lips curled in a mocking sneer, "Yes, he did a good job of it, seeing as I was the one to get you out of your...predicament."

Ciel was somewhat unnerved at the change in demeanor, but reminded himself that Sebastian was a demon, "He did help me for awhile, then stayed behind to fend off our attackers while I kept looking," Ciel neglected to add that he had tried to order the shinigami to stay there forever if he had to, to stop the puppets.

"What kind of deal did you make?" Sebastian queried softly, still half-turned and eying Ciel with one eye. It was almost as if Sebastian was trying to read his mind, he was staring so intently at him.

Ciel himself stared back fearlessly, lip curling to match the sneer Sebastian had adopted. Dimly wondering how the demon would react, Ciel spoke, "Grell wasn't interested in money...so..." Ciel prepared to slam the door shut should it seem like Sebastian might get angry and lash out. Ciel didn't think that Sebastian would actually hurt him, but Ciel wasn't too sure if Sebastian would allow him to go through with the idea. The demon would no doubt hound him relentlessly, until he gave in and gave up. No, not this time. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Ciel looked and saw Sebastian still waiting, a small smile replacing the sneer.

Ciel offered a very tiny, genuine smile in return, "I told Grell that if he protected me, I'd let him do whatever he wanted with you for one whole day," Ciel watched with interest as the smile on Sebastian's face froze, his eyebrow twitched, and he turned the rest of the way to face Ciel directly.

"What was that?" The smile was threatening to vanish.

Ciel knew better. Sebastian had to have heard him, so he added, with an evil little smile, "Oh, and Grell mentioned something about a kiss...with tongue..." Ciel fell silent and watched as a shiver made its way up Sebastian's frame, a disturbed and disgusted look on his face. Sebastian's expression then slowly became horrified as he thought aloud in halting tones, "You said...to him...he wanted to...a kiss...oh no...can't be serious?"

Ignoring the look of desperation, Ciel responded, "Yes, I'm serious." With that, he beat a hasty retreat when he felt an angry aura radiating from Sebastian. Ciel would have kept taunting Sebastian, but he didn't want to press his luck.

As soon as Ciel had left the vicinity, Sebastian's aura died down, and the demon butler let out a sigh of annoyance. Ciel was certainly causing him unneeded trouble. He didn't want Grell to start causing trouble for him as well...Sebastian was silent as he tried to decide whether or not to follow Ciel...but the risk of being sensed by Grell...No, he wanted to know what was being decided, especially if it involved him. Sebastian left the room and headed for the entryway, where he stopped abruptly as he saw Ciel about to leave the mansion.

Ciel somehow sensed Sebastian's presence, and glanced over his shoulder casually, "I expect lunch to be ready when I return." With that and one final glance, Ciel left the mansion to catch up with Grell.

Sebastian smiled thinly. So, Ciel believed he would eavesdrop, while at the same time expect him to have lunch ready? Sebastian turned and headed for the kitchen. Very well then... If that's how Ciel wanted to play...he'd have lunch ready and catch up in time to listen in on the conversation. Then return before they did.

A minute or so later...

Sebastian left the mansion, easily catching up to the carriage with long, running strides. Without the driver of the carriage knowing, Sebastian latched onto one of the sides of the carriage, so he could listen in on its occupants.

Hopefully without detection.

121

Inside the carriage, Grell wriggled back and forth in his seat, excited with the thought of being so close to what he'd imagined...Though there was a lingering doubt when he thought of what would happen if William found out...

"Grell?"

Grell broke out of his thoughts upon hearing Ciel's voice, and looked at the boy with a distracted, "Hmm?"

Ciel sighed. It was hard to keep the other focused on the matter at hand, "I thought we were going to work out arrangements for a day with Sebastian...perhaps even two..."

"T...two days?" Grell stuttered, ceasing movement and leaning forward, looking at Ciel hopefully.

"If you assist me with my current investigation. It seems like we're looking into the same thing. Help solve it tonight..." Ciel held up a hand to stop Grell from interrupting him, "Do that, and not only will you be with Sebastian during the investigation, but if it's resolved tonight...I'll let you do whatever you want with Sebastian for...three days. If it isn't solved tonight, two days." Ciel paused when he saw that he had lost Grell to fantasies. Ciel waited a moment before speaking again, "We still have to set some ground rules and agree on arrangements."

Grell reluctantly left his daydream fantasy and focused on Ciel again. He had been distracted with the prospect of three whole days alone with Sebastian, "Rules?" He asked in a vague, dreamy voice.

Ciel nodded, "Yes, rules."

Grell frowned a little as he thought about it, then shrugged indifferently, "Such as?" Restrictions meant little to him as long as he could get his day (or days) with Sebastian. He'd make sure the brat's case was solved tonight, as well as complete his own job. To make sure William didn't find out what he was up to. If the dark-haired shinigami ever found out what he was planning to do with Sebastian, Grell would find himself either restricted to office work, or bogged down with so many jobs that he had no free time. William would never allow him to be anywhere alone with Sebastian. Whether it was because he cared about him or because he didn't want an incapacitated worker, Grell had yet to find out. It was hard to tell what William was thinking sometimes.

And why did it make him feel bad that he wasn't going to tell William what he was planning?

Seeing that Grell was actually paying attention now, Ciel smiled ever-so-slightly, "The first rule, then..."

121

Outside the carriage, Sebastian was slowly beginning to get more and more unnerved the longer Ciel spoke to Grell of rules and arrangements and such of when and where Grell would get to do whatever he wanted to with him. Sebastian wondered if he could get away with botching the investigation tonight. That way, he'd have to deal with Grell one less day.

Sebastian shivered involuntarily when he heard one agreement. He didn't want to think about having to do whatever Grell told him to do...it was too disgusting just thinking about it, and what Grell might think of. Ciel said a few more things but Sebastian had more or less tuned it out, already disturbed by what he had heard, and wondering if it would get any worse.

121

Inside the carriage, Ciel was unaware of Sebastian's dawning horror. Instead he listened to Grell, as the shinigami summed up what he had just been told.

"I may have Sebastian to myself for two, maybe three days, as long as I don't disturb you. If you need help from Sebastian, you'll add the time lost plus one extra hour for interrupting me. I should not disturb the other servants of the mansion or any potential guests. Sebastian will more or less do what I say but he doesn't have to..." Grell paused in the summery and pouted, "That sounds like he won't have to do what I say if he doesn't want to..." Grell broke off as he caught sight of people outside the carriage, staring at it as it went down the street. They looked...bewildered.

Grell's mouth made a little 'o' of understanding, and with a faint smile, sighed dramatically, "I guess that's better than nothing," Grell tilted his head at the window and mouthed 'Sebastian' with a wider smile. Ciel's eye widened but then nodded. Grell ran a hand through his hair before speaking again, "And I may do what I want with him as long as I stay within the vicinity of the mansion, inside or out," Grell eyed Ciel, "Is that all?"

Ciel responded with a "yes" but with a slight wave of his hand at the window, indicated that he'd say more later, when Sebastian wasn't around. Seeing Grell smiling even more widely, Ciel spoke up as the carriage slowed down. "We're nearly there."

Once the carriage came to a halt, Grell and Ciel stepped outside.

Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.

Ignoring Sebastian's disappearing act, as well as Grell's disappointment, Ciel merely walked to the door, above it a sign stating 'Undertaker.' Ciel entered the building, followed by a somewhat reluctant Grell, who was somewhat unsure what to expect.

One could never know what would happen when it came to the Undertaker.

* * *

Sebastian plots ways to get Ciel to not agree to the deal, while Grell and Ciel visit Undertaker (and get the story moving already). There'll be more humor starting in the next chapter (with a hint of Undertaker/Grell-mosty Undertaker creeping Grell out).


	5. Undertaker

Thanks to PrisonerPadfoot for reviewing. I wasn't sure how the story was turning out, so I'm glad it seems to be all right. So, chapter 5. Ciel talks to Undertaker and Grell is unhappy by the end of the conversation.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji.

* * *

Once Ciel heard the door close behind him, he spoke aloud, "Undertaker! Are you here?" Ciel waited silently, and he was soon rewarded with soft laughter, accompanied by an equally quiet voice.

"Hello, Earl."

Ciel looked around the small room, used to Undertaker's odd behavior by now. Grell, on the other hand, cast a somewhat nervous glance around the immediate area. Undertaker wasn't in sight. All the two of them could see was a table on one side of the room, and several coffins scattered about, some on the ground, others propped up against the walls. Deciding that Undertaker could hear him, Ciel spoke again, "Undertaker, I have a favor to ask of you…"

Soft laughter. "Then, you know what I require, yes?" Undertaker's voice was tinged with amusement, but he was still not in sight.

Ciel's eyebrow twitched. Why couldn't Undertaker take money like normal person? Ciel sighed lightly. Oh well… "Where are you?"

"Keh heh heh." Undertaker laughed once again, and a lid on one of the coffins on the ground moved slowly. The lid dropped to one side and Undertaker sat up, turning to face Ciel and Grell, a smile on his face.

"W…What were you doing in there?" Grell questioned uncertainly, as he watched the Undertaker get out of the coffin and stand next to it for a moment, smile still in place.

"…"

"…"

Ciel and Grell exchanged glances, wondering why Undertaker wasn't moving, or even looking at them now. It was if he had frozen in place…it was rather…creepy…

Undertaker suddenly whirled about to face them, causing Ciel and Grell to back up in surprise at the suddenness. Undertaker was still wearing a wide smile, and, with a flash from his eyes peeking out from behind the hair, he was suddenly face to face with Grell, "You want to know, hmm?" Ignoring Grell's incoherent stutters, Undertaker backed away slightly and threw his arms out wide, "Why, I was trying it out, to see how it felt." Undertaker went back to nearly touching noses with Grell, hands grasping the front of his shirt, "It's so very exciting, the darkness and confinement~!"

With the gray-haired man holding onto him, Grell could only laugh along with Undertaker, as he was unsure about what to do with the other's sudden closeness.

"Undertaker…" Ciel stated, clearly beginning to become impatient. Though, in his mind, Ciel did wonder why Undertaker appeared to enjoy hiding in coffins…

Undertaker let go of Grell and loomed over Ciel. With one long, black colored fingernail, he poked Ciel's cheek with a swift movement, smile still in place, "Don't be so impatient Earl. A favor, and information perhaps, yes?" Undertakers grinned, "Then give me…that…yes…that. Hee~." Undertaker did a strange, circular dance where he stood, grinning down at Ciel, "Give me a great laugh, and I'll help in any way I can." Undertaker backed away, appearing to watch Ciel expectantly (although Ciel couldn't see his eyes). Undertaker tilted his head, grin fading into a thin smile, "The butler isn't here to assist you."

Which was true, and that was why Ciel had asked Grell to accompany him. He hoped that the shinigami would be able to entertain the Undertaker. How to ask Grell though…Ciel cast a sideways glace at Grell and saw the other standing in the same place, a dazed look on his face, "Grell?"

Undertaker tilted his head to the other side, a small frown on his face as he watched Grell walk over to Ciel reluctantly, holding a small conversation.

"What do you want?" Grell muttered, eying the now silent Undertaker.

Ciel looked up at Grell, "…I can't think of anything that would make him laugh." Which was untrue. It had taken him awhile, but he had succeeded in getting Undertaker to laugh…but there was no way he'd be willing to do that again.

"…" Grell stared down at Ciel, then realized what the boy was trying to suggest. Grell looked away immediately, crossing his arms, and speaking haughtily, "Why should I help you? Why didn't you think of something before we got here?"

"I did."

Grell calmed somewhat, and stared down at Ciel in confusion. Then his eyes widened, "You were planning on me telling a joke?"

A nod.

"Gah! I can't do anything on the spot!" Grell danced a furious little circle, hands mussing his hair as he raged on, "What do you take me for? Do I look like a walking joke to you?"

Ciel decided that it was in his best interest not to respond to that.

Grell dropped his hands and turned to face a somewhat bewildered Undertaker, "And you! I still haven't forgiven you for calling my appearance 'average'!"

Undertaker tilted his head once again as he considered the redhead. Then, he stated matter-of-factly, "It was, in terms of corpses…"

"Gahh! You did it again! You bastard!" Grell snarled angrily. Once had been enough. Did Undertaker really have to say it…?

"Most corpses are rather exquisite in their wounds, and you fell into the below-average range in terms of that," Undertaker mused, as though he hadn't heard Grell's protest.

Grell made an incensed sound and lunged at Undertaker, hands outstretched, "YOU! You dare!" Grell wrapped his hands around Undertaker's throat and began to throttle him. Undertaker, in response, made strange strangled sounds, and Ciel didn't know whether it sounded like distress or…amusement? Odd…

Ciel watched the spectacle unfold, unsure what to do about it. He hadn't expected Grell's sudden aggressiveness. Ciel knew he was capable of it, considering the Jack the Ripper case, but after that, he hadn't seen Grell display very many aggressive tendencies.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, Grell let go of Undertaker's throat, grinning deviously as he spoke, " For this insult, punishment is in order." Grell's smile widened, showing his teeth, "Perhaps I should put you in the salt barrel again. Or maybe I should..." Grell stopped abruptly, frowning at Undertaker, who had been holding still up until Grell had started talking.

Undertaker's shoulders started to rise and fall, and then he let out a piercing laugh, "Uwahahahahahahaaa!" The laughter continued, as Undertaker shook and gasped for breath, to the point that he had to collapse against a coffin on the ground. He half lay on it, still laughing, until it finally dissolved into an odd giggle, "Eh-heh", as he struggled to get his breathing under control.

Grell looked thoroughly confused at the Undertaker's reaction. He hadn't even said anything funny, had he?

It took Undertaker around a minute to calm himself, and, with another small chortle, began speaking, "Ahh~…good laughs are so hard to find these days, mmm~." Undertaker tilted his head up in Ciel's direction, apparently ignoring the boy's disturbed expression, "Hmm~, what is it you were going to ask about? Heehee~."

Grell cut Ciel off as he gazed down at Undertaker in confusion, "What is so funny about what I said?"

Undertaker stared at Grell, snickered in amusement, before subsiding into silence and waiting for Ciel to speak.

Ciel avoided eye contact with the irked redheaded shinigami, who obviously didn't like being ignored or being denied a response, and spoke to the Undertaker, "Sebastian and Grell are going to the graveyard tonight to investigate a case. Apparently, a group gathers there and may be involved with the recent murders in the area. Do you know anything about this?"

Undertaker got up and sat down on a closed coffin, smiling, "Yes. I would have expected you to come sooner in search of answers."

Ciel frowned, "I hadn't learned of the murders until yesterday. I would have come sooner. I was otherwise occupied."

"…I see…" Undertaker stood up again and crossed the room, stopping next to an upright coffin and placing one long nailed hand on it, caressing it. He looked over his shoulder at Ciel, "The graveyard is being watched at night. It would be very difficult to catch them out in the open. Especially if they are busy. Yes." Undertaker lapsed into silence, humming as he turned his attention to the coffin as he petted it lovingly.

It creeped Ciel out. A lot.

Grell, on the other hand, didn't know what to make of the display.

"And…why do they meet in the graveyard?"

Undertaker paused, hand on the coffin still. He glanced in Ciel's general direction, a slightly twisted smile on his face, "Why not? It's a good place to go undetected. Yes, no one to report them. The dead don't bother them. Or do they~?" Undertaker paused, and then added, "They don't take well to trespassers. How will they get into the graveyard undetected?" Undertaker indicated Grell, who still looked offended, and had turned to fix a glare on Undertaker to let him know it.

Ciel offered a faint smile, "I was going to ask for your assistance in gaining entry to the graveyard undetected."

"Hmm?" Undertaker frowned momentarily, before his smile came back, "Ah, I see. Like when you went to that cult gathering in the church…yes, that could be arranged, except…" He trailed off.

Ciel blinked, "Except what?" He took an abrupt step back as Undertaker had decided to invade his personal space again.

Undertaker tapped a finger against his chin, smiling down at Ciel, "…except these people may expect for someone to try and get in through odd methods…"

Ciel gave a defeated sigh, "So, it wouldn't work then." Ciel was a bit startled when Undertaker was suddenly in front of Grell again, who gave him a haughty look in response to the other in front of him, "Undertaker?" Ciel wondered.

Undertaker wagged a finger at Ciel in admonishment, "I didn't say it wouldn't work, did I? I merely need to make it look as though he and the butler look dead. If there's a need to check the coffin, they'll only see dead bodies." Undertaker turned his attention to Grell, who tensed up, as though able to see the other's eyes boring into him intensely.

"W…What?" Grell questioned in a flustered tone, anger dying down with uncertainty.

Undertaker, however, appeared to not hear his query, instead slowly moving around the other, muttering to himself, "Normally I would cover the wounds, hmm, but how to make it appear as such…."

Grell was unnerved with this sudden interest, and about to say something, when Undertaker seized him by the front of his vest again, still smiling widely, "Eh?" was all Grell could manage to say, wondering what the other was doing.

Undertaker ignored Grell's unease, turning him and tilting him this way and that, before speaking aloud to Ciel, "The butler and this one are going tonight, yes? I'll need more time preparing this one, so just leave him here with me. Come back an hour before you want them to go with your butler. He won't take nearly as much time as this one."

Ciel watched Grell vainly try to free himself from Undertaker's surprisingly storing grasp, before smirking, "I'll do that then." Ciel was about to turn and leave, but paused, "Oh, and I was hoping to get you to help them there…would you be willing to assist them if something goes wrong, for any reason?"

A faint flash met Ciel's gaze for a moment, as the Undertaker continued to smile his creepy little smile. Which, if possible, widened, "If it is needed, yes." Undertaker turned his attention to Grell again, "After all, it's not often I get to prepare 'live' ones."

Ciel left the building amid Grell's protests and Undertaker's laughter. Ciel climbed into the carriage and said calmly, "Return to the mansion," All the while, Ciel ignored the confused look the diver was throwing the way he had come, to the door where muffled sounds were issuing.

"N…No…stop…"

"Kehehehee…"

121

Undertaker amuses me. He does like to make appearances from odd places. Let me know if there're any obvious mistakes. FFN seems to get rid of letters occasionally. Next chapter, Ciel talks to Sebastian about the plan, while Undertaker attempts to get Grell to cooperate. I hope to get it up within a week or two.


	6. Awkward Silences

Ciel informs Sebastian of his plans, while Grell and Undertaker experience an awkward moment.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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The journey back to the Phantomhive mansion was uneventful, with no one stopping to look at the carriage this time. Ciel supposed this meant that Sebastian was back at the mansion, and would pretend that he had never left it, and had instead been preparing lunch.

Ciel exited the carriage and as he headed for the door, he was relieved to note that the mansion was still standing. That was a good sign. Ciel walked up the steps to the front door, reaching out to open it. His hand clasped thin air, as the door had just opened before he could reach it.

Sebastian was standing in the doorway wearing a smile, eyes closed and head tilted, "Welcome back, young master."

Ciel entered the mansion without comment. Though he did pause to frown at the man, wondering just how he managed to do that. It could be unnerving sometimes...

Sebastian opened his eyes and glanced out the door, lip curling slightly, "The reaper is not with you? Did you send him away because he could not agree to reasonable terms?"

Ciel curled his lip as well, although in amusement, "He's at the Undertaker's right now. He's being 'prepared' to look like a corpse so he can be taken to the graveyard in a coffin."

Sebastian smiled, "Such an undignified way to go."

_'You were willing to be in a coffin with me _and_ Grell before...'_ Ciel's s expression matched Sebastian's, "Oh? Well, Undertaker said he'd need less time to work on you, so we'll go there in a few hours time."

"...What?" Sebastian's smile had faded and he looked almost distraught at the thought of being in a coffin. Or perhaps it was the idea of allowing Undertaker to wreak his outfit to make him appear 'dead.'

"What's for lunch?" Ciel asked in response, sounding impatient. Ciel did back up against the now closed front door, which Sebastian had somehow managed to shut without him knowing. Ciel chanced a glance up at Sebastian, who was staring down at him with a calculating expression.

Sebastian wore a thin smile as he spoke, "You didn't happen to ask for a certain amount of coffins, did you?"

"No," Noting the use of 'you' instead of something more formal made Ciel feel uneasy. The boy frowned up at the demon with a confused expression, "Why?"

"...Nothing." Sebastian drew away swiftly and turned, heading for the dining hall, "Lunch is ready, young master. Today's menu includes..."

Ciel trailed after Sebastian a little reluctantly, wondering what had caused the demon to react the way he did.

121

While Ciel enjoyed a late lunch, Grell was enduring what was slowly growing into a crisis.

Grell backed up against the nearest wall, eying the still smiling Undertaker, "No! You can't ruin my clothing! It's like a part of me...agh! That damn brat!"

Undertaker tsked as he continued to approach the stressed-out redhead, who was running out of room to back away. Undertaker smiled his eerie smile, "Now, now~. This is the only way to get into the graveyard without suspicion. Don't worry, it won't hurt...much." Undertaker drew nearer, "Now, hold still."

"Ehhh! You can't treat a lady like this! It's very impolite!" Grell babbled out, as he scrambled backwards, up against another wall as Undertaker closed in on him. Grell frowned unhappily, glancing sideways in hopes of seeing an escape. Then caught his reflection in a nearby mirror. There were a few rips in his vest...when did that happen? Grell turned his head sharply at Undertaker's light laughter. Grell pouted, "What did you do? When?"

Undertaker merely smiled more widely as he considered the other in silence. Then, he spoke, "Are you done trying to run?"

"..." Grell shrank against the wall, trying to present as small a target as possible as Undertaker closed the distance between them, "Eeee!"

There was a silence, and then the sound of fabric taring.

"Oh...oh my~." Grell murmured breathlessly, arching his back against the wall.

"...?" Undertaker wore a perplexed look, but moved in closer to continue his work.

"Mmm~" Grell closed his eyes and sighed wistfully, "Ahh~mmm...m...more~."

"...???" Undertaker paused, wondering what was going through the other's mind, before resuming his deft movements.

"Oh...you're..so...so naughty~," Grell moaned in a low voice, twisting slightly to one side, "Ohh~. It...It's too much...what would Will think?" Grell swooned over dramatically, as Undertaker backed away, trying to decide what to make of the redhead's display.

Undertaker tiled his head and observed Grell still swooning, before frowning. All he had done was cut Grell's vest and the shirt beneath it with some scissors, to make it appear as though Grell had injuries. Undertaker would still need to do something to make the rips appear to be injuries...perhaps coloring it red to match the red coat...Like he would usually do with the corpses that came to him. Undertaker stared at Grell. The redhead's behavior was puzzling and..somewhat distracting. Undertaker watched Grell for a bit longer, deciding that the display was rather intriguing.

"Oh~." Grell was still swooning and had draped himself across a coffin to rest, appearing out of it as he kept up the soft moaning, "Mmm~."

Undertaker tilted his head to the other side. It was a very...odd display..yet it was, indeed, quite fascinating at the same time. Undertaker shook his head. He was allowing himself to be distracted. He needed to figure out how to make the injuries appear 'fresher.' Undertaker's smile returned. Oh well, Ciel would be returning in a few hours time, along with his butler. Undertaker laughed softly to himself. That butler...how should he disguise him as a corpse? Choices, choices. Undertaker spun about and went over to a basin on a table, dabbing his fingers into it, "So happy~."

Grell stopped his act once he realized no one (Undertaker) was watching. Grell pouted unhappily at being ignored, then sighed, wondering if this plan was actually going to fool anyone. Grell glanced down at his ruined clothing and decided that he'd demand that Ciel get him new clothing in addition to getting Sebastian for one to three days. Grell smiled lightly. The plan would work out. He was going to get to be with Sebastian after it was all over.

As long as William didn't find out.

Grell smiled widely, "Ah, Sebas-chan~. Soon...soon I'll have you all to myself. Hee~."

121

Sebastian felt an unexplained chill and had an uneasy feeling that it had to do with Grell...but...the shinigami wasn't anywhere near him, but at Undertaker's...

"Seba..."

So..why had he had that chill? It made no logical sense...

"Sebastian!"

Sebastian started, realizing that he had zoned out. The demonic butler smiled to himself. _'Strange indeed.'_ "Yes, young master?" Sebastian questioned smoothly, enjoying the flustered look on the boy's face.

Ciel coughed, composing himself swiftly, "I said, we'll be leaving in a few hours. Before we go, I'd like dinner to be prepared in advance."

Sebastian looked baffled, "Why is that, sir? I was under the impression that we were leaving after dinner."

Ciel fought to keep a small smile off his face, "Well, I've decided that it'd be better for me to be back to the mansion before dark, especially if you aren't around...so, once dinner is prepared, we will go to the Undertaker's. I need to speak with him before I leave you to him." Ciel stood up from his desk, "And Sebastian, make sure you accomplish getting into the graveyard. It's vital to apprehend the suspects and close this case."

Sebastian opened his mouth to protest, to say that things didn't need to be resolved so quickly, but caught himself. Sebastian smiled inwardly. _'Sneaky...trying to make me slip up, are you?'_ Sebastian assumed that if he had disagreed, Ciel would have made it an order to resole the case tonight, whether he wanted to or not, and he'd be forced to be with Grell for an extra day or two. It was horrifying, imagining what Grell would come up with...and if Ciel ordered him to do whatever Grell told him to do...no...it was unacceptable...

Ciel, however, had already figured out Sebastian's train of thought, made obvious by the faint disturbed look on his face. Ciel casually reached up to pull his eye patch off, attempting to disguise it as running a hand through his hair.

"Excuse me..."

"Hmm?" Ciel paused, confused, hand resting over the eye patch's string. Ciel let out a small exhalation of surprise as Sebastian's hand rested on his, pulling it away gently from the eye patch. "S...Sebastian?"

Sebastian was smiling, but his eyes were closed, "You aren't thinking about doing anything rash, are you, young master? The case will be resolved tonight, quite easily in face." Sebastian's eyes opened, boring into Ciel's with a burning ferocity, as though daring him to try and order him around at the moment.

Ciel managed to calm down, and tugged his hand out of Sebastian's grasp, "I don't know what you're talking about." Ciel walked past Sebastian, "I take it that the kitchen is still usable?"

Sebastian followed after Ciel, sensing that the boy still wanted to give him an order. Wearing a slight smile, Sebastian answered Ciel's question with a teasing, "Yes, my lord."

* * *

I have a Grell/Sebastian story mostly written, but I figured I'd focus on this story first before I posted it. Next chapter, Ciel talks to Undertaker, while Sebastian has an awkward moment with Grell.


	7. At Undertaker's

I'll be able to post a few chapters up as soon as I'm done editing them, so I hope to get to the WilliamxGrell part of the story sooner.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji.

* * *

A few hours later...

After chewing Bard out for scorching half the kitchen with his 'artful' cooking style, again, Sebastian managed to get dinner put together, so that even Bard could cook it and bring it to Ciel later at dinnertime. Sebastian shot a warning glare at the three servants, while more or less ignoring Tanaka. With that finished, Sebastian exited the mansion and found Ciel already in the carriage, eye closed, resting. The eye patch was likely off. Sebastian had suspected that Ciel might have taken it off, to try and order him. Sebastian nodded to the driver of the coach as he stepped into the carriage and closed the door behind him, sitting across from Ciel, whose eye was still closed. And he was wearing the eye patch.

The carriage began to move A few minutes passed in silence, as neither occupant spoke.

Ciel kept his eye closed, knowing that Sebastian wouldn't bother him until he made eye contact. Whether or not the investigation was successful...he'd let Grell have his day...perhaps starting tomorrow morning. Ciel had decided this because he hadn't liked it when Sebastian had cornered him earlier that day and seized his hand to prevent him from giving an order. Whether Ciel's decision would make Sebastian resentful to him later on...oh well, it didn't matter...it was worth it to see Sebastian uncomfortable.

"May I inquire as to what is so amusing, young master?"

Ciel was startled into opening his eye to look at Sebastian curiously. Ignoring the faint smile the demon wore, Ciel asked a question back, "What do you mean?"

"You were smiling not a moment ago." Sebastian prompted helpfully, his smile becoming a little more pronounced.

Ciel closed his eye again. "Wouldn't you like to know..." Ciel opened his eye again when he heard Sebastian move, and held back a gasp, leaning back in his seat. Sebastian was looming over him, hands resting on the seat on either side of Ciel's head. Ciel leaned back even further as Sebastian stooped slightly, bringing his face level with Ciel's, so that they were nearly nose to nose.

"I would like to know, young master. Are you perhaps hiding something?" Sebastian queried in a soft tone.

"..." Ciel glared at Sebastian, hand automatically reaching up to push the eye patch away. Sebastian was too close. Ciel was once again foiled as Sebastian seized the hand and offered a playful smile, "No need for orders...I'm merely...curious... as to what would amuse you. I was under the impression that you didn't have much reason to smile."

Ciel gave Sebastian a hard stare, before sighing, "Let go of me, Sebastian." Three days would be appropriate. One day with Grell wasn't enough.

Sebastian released the grip he had on Ciel's hand and sat back down, eying the other silently, "..."

Ciel stared back, "..."

Silence.

Ciel weighed his options, then..."I was thinking about what time to let Grell have you." Ciel answered after a moments pause. He saw Sebastian more or less freeze in his seat, smile fading.

"And...that amused you?" Sebastian sounded... appalled?

"No, that was only part of what I was thinking."

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched, but before he could say anything, the carriage came to a halt, the driver announcing that they had reached their destination.

Ciel quickly fled out of the carriage and headed for Undertaker's with brisk steps, confident that Sebastian wasn't going to try and stop him.

Sebastian slid out of the carriage gracefully and cast a casual glance up at the driver, "My lord will return shortly. Until then, please wait here."

"Y...Yes sir."

Sebastian flashed a smile, then followed after Ciel, who had already entered the building. Sebastian walked through the door, closing it after him, before taking a few steps into the room. He was immediately hailed by a voice.

"Sebas~chaaannnn~~!"

Sebastian braced himself to dodge the red haired shinigami, but nothing happened, "?" Sebastian glanced around the room. Ciel was speaking with Undertaker on the right side of the room, but when he glanced around the rest of the area, he didn't see Grell anywhere. Seeing that Undertaker and Ciel were engaged in conversation, Sebastian decided to take a look around. Perhaps Undertaker had tied Grell up somewhere...that would explain the lack of assault. Although...Sebastian didn't see any rope, and there weren't very many places to hide, so...that left the open coffin on the ground nearby and the upright, closed coffin to his left.

Sebastian frowned faintly, before approaching the open casket, deciding that it was the least threatening of the two choices. Sebastian came up alongside the coffin and as he leaned over to glance inside, a black-gloved hand wrapped itself around his tie tightly. The hand tugged with enough force that Sebastian had to catch himself by grasping the side of the coffin with both hands. Once Sebastian knew he wouldn't fall in, he turned a glare onto the shinigami. Who was currently grinning up at him coyly from where he lay rather comfortably in the coffin. How long had he waited in there?

Grell winked at the demon, twirling a finger around the tie as he tugged it lightly, "Hello, Sebas-chan~."

Sebastian, in response, braced himself more solidly on the coffin edge, as to prevent Grell from tugging him into the coffin. Sebastian wanted to avoid that at all cost. Sebastian attempted to get his tie out of Grell's grasp, but the other refused to let go. His grip was rather strong as well, Sebastian mused to himself, as he risked a glance over his shoulder at the other two. Sebastian saw, to his chagrin, that Undertaker and Ciel were still talking, apparently unaware that anything else was going on...

Sebastian scowled faintly. They could also be pretending not to notice, which seemed much more likely. Another tug, this time harder, nearly threw Sebastian off balance. Sebastian managed to steady himself once more, and turned his attention back to Grell, who was now smiling widely with his teeth showing. Sebastian was going to demand that the reaper let go, when he noticed that Grell's clothing appeared to be ripped and torn in some places, (though the red coat was still intact). Sebastian frowned. The exposed skin wasn't even bleeding...

Sebastian smiled lightly and it was Grell's turn to be wary. A smiling Sebastian usually meant pain for him.

"S..Sebas-chan?" Grell questioned softly, the hand grasping Sebastian's tie loosening its grip ever so slightly.

Sebastian smiled pleasantly, "No injuries? It won't be very convincing that way, will it?"

"W..Well...Undertaker said that he'd cover it up some more, so there is no need for real wounds..." Grell explained nervously, further loosening his hold on Sebastian's tie, as though expecting an imminent attack.

"Oh, is that so? I disagree..." Sebastian's smile was positively evil now.

Grell weighed his options. Either Sebastian was actually planning on attacking him, or he was threatening him to get him to let go...if it was the latter, then...

Sebastian saw Grell falter, and could feel the shinigami's grasp loosen even further. Soon, he'd be able to get his tie free and put some distance between them...Sebastian wasn't at all prepared for what happened next.

Grell's free hand reached up and grabbed one of Sebastian's wrists. Twisting the wrist and tugging sharply on the tie at the same time, Grell managed to succeed in throwing the demon off balance.

Sebastian, shocked at the turn of events, toppled into the coffin, landing on top of the delighted Grell, who had immediately let go of the tie to seize the butlers' other wrist in order to prevent him from retaliating.

Grell may have been ecstatic with what had just happened, but Sebastian, on the other hand, was horrified, aware that his head was resting beneath Grell's chin, and he knew that the reaper was aware of this as well.

Sebastian longed to lash out, but found that Grell's hands were clamped around his wrists, pinning them to the bottom of the coffin on either side of the redhead. Sebastian was frustrated by the fact that he couldn't break the grip the other had on him. Sebastian wanted to glare at Grell and tell him to let go of him at once or else, but decided that it would be a bad idea, as their faces would be too close for comfort. Sebastian sighed. Ciel and Undertaker were _still_ talking, so Sebastian decided to deal with his immediate problem.

Grell, meanwhile, was trying to figure out why Sebastian hadn't tried to retaliate yet. Grell felt Sebastian's hands twitch, and tightened his grasp. He supposed that answered his question. Grell knew that Sebastian would probably overreact once he got free...so...maybe he shouldn't have been so forward. But...it was nice, having Sebastian's warm body on top of his. Grell winced when one of Sebastian's fists dug into his side, "S...Sebas-chan!"

Sebastian let out a growl of annoyance when Grell managed to move his fist away from his side. Sebastian was faintly surprised when Grell loosened his grasp on the right wrist, in order to get a better hold of it. Sebastian took the opportunity to free his right wrist all the way and quickly sat up. Sebastian used his right hand to keep Grell pinned down, putting pressure on the shinigami's chest, while he set about trying to free himself.

Grell's right hand was now wrapped around the arm Sebastian was using to pin him down with. It was rather uncomfortable. Grell let out a yelp when Sebastian's right hand moved away from his chest to form into a fist, as if to punch him in the face. Grell let go of Sebastian's wrist in order to shield himself from the blow. By the time Grell realized that he had let go of Sebastian, the demon was already standing up in the coffin, glaring at something other than him. Probably Ciel.

It was then that Grell realized that Sebastian hadn't actually punched him in the face. Smiling widely, Grell got to his knees and while Sebastian was occupied with other thoughts, Grell wrapped his arms around Sebastian's legs, resting his head against his waist, glancing up at him, "What are you looking at, Sebas-chan~? Are you leaving me already?" Grell abruptly let go and scrambled backwards as Sebastian loomed over him with a look of both annoyance and anger. Grell let out a choked sound as Sebastian wrapped his hands around his throat.

"I've had enough of you and your disgusting comments," Sebastian growled, starting to lose his cool.

Grell grabbed Sebastian's hands, trying in vain to get the other to let go of him, "Nnn...Sebas-chan~. I was...only trying out...seating arrangements." Grell let out a sigh of relief when Sebastian abruptly let go. Grell braced himself as he fell back down into the coffin, and managed to smile up at the horror stricken Sebastian. Grell tensed when Sebastian, eyes closed, smiled a chilling smile down at him, "...What was that you said?"

Grell moved his arms up to protect himself, "Undertaker said that it'd be easier to take one coffin to the graveyard...at least, that's what he said. About how one coffin was easier to fit on a cart." Grell braced himself for potential attack, but instead saw Sebastian step out of the coffin. Grell sat up and rested his arms on the side of the coffin, watching Sebastian stalk toward the seemingly oblivious Undertaker and Ciel.

Ciel noticed the obviously unhappy Sebastian first and spoke, "What's wrong, Sebastian? Undertaker said he'll only need a few minutes to get you ready. He was planning on leaving a little before dark, in an hour or so..."

Sebastian's eyes were narrowed, "Young master...why is there only one coffin being used?" Sebastian fell silent upon seeing the look of surprise on Ciel's face. Then, Sebastian gave Ciel a disapproving look when the boy smiled in amusement at the thought of Grell and Sebastian alone in a coffin.

Ciel ignored Sebastian's complaint, "I didn't make the suggestion of one coffin. Undertaker did." Ciel glanced over at Grell, who was lounging against the coffin, "Grell explained the reasoning, right?" Sebastian's eyebrow twitched, and that, along with the strained smile on Sebastian's face, made Ciel take it as his cue to leave, before the other could talk him out if it. Ciel had taken his eye patch off during his conversation with Undertaker, so he gave his order before Sebastian could try to stop him again, "Sebastian, this case will be resolved tonight."

Sebastian bowed, "Yes, my lord."

Ciel noted the reluctance in the demon's voice, but merely nodded to the Undertaker before taking his leave and getting back to the carriage that would take him to the mansion.

Sebastian wore an a long suffering expression as Undertaker sneaked up on him with a wide smile.

"Better hurry, hmm~? We'll need to leave soon."

Sebastian may have tolerated Undertaker to a point, but not Grell. Especially not when the redhead let out what sounded like a squeal of delight.

"Ohh~! I want to help!"

"Hmm...I suppose that would make it go more quickly...now, where did I put those scissors..."

Grell grinned, producing two scissors and approaching Sebastian, "I can do it, it won't take long. Hold still, Sebas-chan~."

"Then I'll go find something to cover the 'wounds' with. Hee hee."

Sebastian braced himself. It appeared as though it were going to be a very long hour. He could only hope tonight would pass by quickly.

121

Next chapter, Sebastian, Grell and Undertaker go to the graveyard, while William senses something is wrong and decides to check up on Grell, if he can figure out where to go.


	8. Graveyard 1

Classes are winding down, so I should be able to update more often.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

* * *

William was diligently working away on the paperwork and proposals he had been given. About halfway through his work, William started to think about Grell and how he hadn't heard from the other shinigami yet that day. Meaning that William would have to go in search for him, as soon as he wrapped up what he was doing now. He had given Grell an extra day after all. Otherwise William would have gone off to look for him already. William checked the time, then looked at how much paperwork he had left on his desk, and wondering how much longer it would take him to get done. He had started to feel...uneasy.

Pause.

Why exactly would he be feeling uneasy? William didn't think it had to do with Grell not being back yet, but perhaps it was part of it. William attempted to get through some more paperwork, but ended up setting the pen down and sighing. He couldn't concentrate. William kept thinking that the longer Grell was away, the more likely the redhead had gotten into some sort of trouble. Which meant extra paperwork for William.

Checking the clock one more time, William made his decision. Signing the paper in front of him, William stood up and left his office, ignoring the looks he received as he stalked down the hallway.

Grell had better just be lost. William didn't know what to do if the redhead was fawning over the demon again. Shaking his head, William stepped out of headquarters and set off to find Grell. From the information Grell had received, William would be able to narrow down the possible places to look for the other reaper.

After a few hours of checking leads, William headed in the direction of a graveyard, where rumors were that it was haunted. It was the last place William would check before stopping by the Phantomhive mansion. It would be in Grell's best interest if William found him in the graveyard doing his job...

121

By the time Sebastian, Undertaker and Grell had left the shop, the sunlight was fading rapidly. It would be night time soon. Undertaker led the others to where a cart and horses were waiting, an open coffin resting on the back of the cart. The lid was propped up against the cart.

Sebastian's face fell at the sight of the coffin, while Grell smiled at it. Undertaker, meanwhile, didn't seem to see the problem with the idea of hiding in a coffin. Sebastian halted near the cart, staring at the coffin, wondering why this was happening to him. Grell and Undertaker were standing nearby silently, each with their own thoughts.

Grell made his thoughts very obvious, as he leaned up against Sebastian and said, in a suggestive voice, "It looks comfortable, doesn't it, Sebas-chan~? And we'll be all alone~." The redheaded shinigami glanced up at Sebastian.

Sebastian, amazingly, didn't respond to Grell's comment, instead fixing his gaze on the Undertaker, who was smiling lightly at nothing in particular. Sebastian allowed himself a small smile. He had the perfect solution to his coffin-arrangement problem.

"H...Hey! W..What are you doing?" Grell exclaimed, as Sebastian seized him and hefted him into the coffin. Grell let out a yelp as he hit the bottom of the coffin. Sebastian sent a glare in Grell's direction, when he had seen the reaper about to climb back out of the coffin. Grell flinched back at the intensity of the gaze, and sat back down in the coffin.

Undertaker came over to stand next to Sebastian, "What's going on?" A frown appeared on his face as Sebastian seized the front of his outfit, "What are you doing?"

"Changing seating arrangements. Would you mind getting into the coffin?"

Undertaker titled his head, "That wasn't the plan, was it?"

"We should get going before it gets too late." Sebastian commented, smiling and making as if to lift the Undertaker.

Grell lay down in the coffin with a sigh, resigning himself to the fact that Sebastian wouldn't be with him on the way to the graveyard. A surprised exclamation caught Grell's attention. It hadn't been Undertaker's...but Sebastian's. Grell let out a happy gasp as Sebastian suddenly dropped down on top of him, coffin lid sealing them in soon after. "Sebas-chan!" The redhead didn't know what Undertaker had done, but he was quite happy now.

Sebastian, understandably, was not.

"So, what do we do now? We're all alone~."

"..."

"Ahh!"

Outside the coffin, Undertaker guided the cart and horses along a path, wondering if the two in the coffin would be quite by the time they got to the graveyard...

"S...Sebas-chan..."

"Hold still."

"No, I want to hug you."

"..."

"What are you doing?"

Undertaker hummed a tune to himself as he ignored the argument, focusing on the street and the odd looks being thrown his way. Of course, it probably seemed odd that there was even a coffin, especially when the occupants were very lively (Sebastian preventing Grell from hugging him in the small confines mostly).

121

The graveyard was, as usual, dark ad quiet. Not that this bothered Undertaker as he silently guided the cart.

From inside of the coffin, Sebastian wondered whether or not anyone was actually there...wait...yes, there was a group of people there,further in, when he reached out with his senses.

Undertaker brought the cart to a halt when he reached the entrance to the graveyard, where two men had blocked the path. Undertaker smiled faintly as he watched one of the men speak up.

"The graveyard is barred to visitors this late at night. Come back tomorrow."

Undertaker tilted his head, smile widening at the two men, who were apparently guarding the entrance for the group. The two men were trying very hard to make themselves seem intimidating, scowling at the Undertaker in their fancy suits. Undertaker didn't appear to be put off from being denied access to the graveyard and instead indicated the coffin behind him, which had stopped moving around a few minutes earlier, "This needs to be taken care of. The family insisted quite adamantly on tonight. It won't take very long, and then I'll be on my way. Now, where did I put my shovel~?"

The two guards cast bewildered looks at one another as Undertaker fretted about as he looked for his shovel. They didn't know what to make of the other man, but decided he wasn't too threatening, as they stepped toward him a little.

"Well, I suppose if it won't take too long, it should be fine," Guard A said after observing Undertaker for a moment.

"We'll have to check the contents, of course. We can't be too careful, right?" Guard B added.

Undertaker, still in search of his shovel, waved a hand, "By all means, go ahead. The dead shouldn't give you any trouble."

Guard B went over to the side of the cart, followed by a more hesitant guard A, who didn't seem to be okay with the idea of looking at dead bodies, but wanted to do his job properly.

Undertaker cast a glance over his shoulder to watch the two guards, wondering vaguely if Grell and Sebastian had found a way to lay down and play dead. At least they were still quiet. Undertaker mused to himself whether or not that was a good thing.

Guard A lifted the coffin lid off as guard B peered inside.

Sebastian was laying on the bottom of the coffin on his back, arms at his side, while Grell lay with his back to Sebastian's chest, hands clasped on top of his own chest. The injuries on the two were covered up skillfully.

Guard B reached hesitantly into the coffin, to check for pulses. A few seconds passed, before he drew his hand away and turned to guard B. "They're...dead."

Guard A nodded, though he looked a little pale at the thought of seeing dead bodies. Between the two guards, they replaced the lid, and turned around to face the Undertaker in front of the cart.

Undertaker watched the guards approach him and he smiled, a shovel resting over one shoulder, "I found it~."

Guard B was perplexed, so guard A spoke up for both of them, "Why are there two bodies in one coffin?"

Undertaker shrugged, "The family didn't have much money, so they couldn't afford more than one. Besides, the dead had wanted to be buried together."

Inside the coffin, Grell stifled a laugh, wincing as Sebastian seized his arms to prevent him from turning over.

"S..Sebas-chan. No fair~."

"Quiet," hissed the demon in retort. It would do no good to be discovered now.

The two guards glanced at one another, both thinking that Undertaker was very strange. After a short, whispered conversation, the guards stood on either side of the path. "Hurry up with the burial and be on your way," Guard A told Undertaker, clearly still unnerved by the sight he had seen.

Undertaker sat back down on the cart and urged the horses forward and up along the path into the graveyard, smiling as he did.

121

The graveyard was eerily silent as Undertaker guided the cart along the path. At least no one had tried to intercept them again. Undertaker brought the cart to a secluded area of the graveyard, having the horses come to a halt near a few of the taller headstones. When he deduced that no one had followed him, Undertaker went to go open the coffin, which had begun to shake as soon as the cart had stopped moving. Undertaker watched the coffin shake, muffled voices issuing from it, then silence. Undertaker removed the lid and peered inside, wearing a quizzical expression.

Sebastian was straddling Grell's chest and currently had his hands wrapped around the shinigami's throat, growling something incoherently.

Beneath him, Grell was trying to pry the demon's hands off of him, choking, "S..Sebas-chan~. It...was a joke...ahh~! So...so rough~."

Sebastian noticed that the coffin lid was off, and that Undertaker was watching. With a sigh, Sebastian relinquished his grasp on Grell reluctantly, as though annoyed that Undertaker had interrupted him. Sebastian leapt out of the coffin, landing smoothly next to Undertaker, whose attention was now on Grell.

Grell was lying on his back, one hand touching his throat gingerly. Then, with one motion, Grell sat upright and glared at the demonic butler from over the rim of the coffin accusingly, "You brute! How dare you treat a lady like..." Grell abruptly fell silent and cringed back at the sight of the cold gaze Sebastian fixed on him.

Sebastian held the stare for awhile longer, before he was sure that Grell wouldn't leap out of the coffin at him. Sebastian turned and spoke to Undertaker with a neutral expression, "I will go take a look around. Keep him," Sebastian indicated Grell, "...from following me. I'll return shortly." Sebastian was suddenly lost from view into the surrounding shadows.

With Sebastian gone, Grell leaned against the coffin's rim, resting his head on his arms, red hair spilling over the sides. Grell sighed and stared in the direction that Sebastian had gone.

Undertaker sat down on the cart next to the coffin, crossing his legs and glancing over at Grell, "What did you do to make him try to throttle you?"

Grell tilted his head so that he could see the other, "Why does it matter?" When Undertaker merely smiled and didn't answer, Grell sighed and looked away, "...I got my arms free...and I _might_ have tried to hug him and _maybe_ he took offense to that. I was able to keep him from trying to strangle me before the cart stopped." Grell fell silent when he became aware of Undertaker twirling some red hair around a finger. Grell considered trying to pull it free, but decided against it. What was Undertaker up to?

Undertaker wrapped more of his hand into the red hair and tugged lightly, so that Grell had to turn his head to look at him.

"..."

"..."

Undertaker smiled, "Why didn't you use your deathscythe to keep the butler away?"

Grell took his eyes off the Undertaker to glance off to the side, unable to keep the blush of embarrassment from surfacing, "Will confiscated my deathscythe. All I have are scissors..."

"That's what I meant."

Grell brought his gaze back to the other man sharply, somewhat annoyed that he couldn't see the other's eyes, only the smiling mouth, "...Sebastian wouldn't be intimidated by small scissors that he could easily avoid."

Undertaker's smile widened, and instead of commenting on Sebastian, he instead asked, "William confiscated it? What for?"

Grell looked sullen, "I modified it into a chainsaw, and reaped some souls not on the death list." Grell sighed, "I've already been punished for it enough, but Will _still _won't give me my deathscythe back." Grell pouted, "He scolds me for not getting my job done, or says that I did things wrong." Grell buried his face against his arms and sighed, "No matter what I do, he still finds ways to tell me what I did wrong, and how I need to do a better job next time." Grell fell silent, pondering the dark-haired mans scolding, not realizing that Undertaker had let go of his hair and was sitting up straight.

"William sent you to collect souls, yes?"

A nod.

"...Collect them, and I'll have a word with William."

"Huh?" Grell lifted his head and glanced over at Undertaker, whose smile, while less pronounced, was still there, "Why would he...?" Grell cut himself off. If Undertaker could maybe get his deathscythe back for him, he didn't really have to know how that would be possible. "Okay..." Grell said distractedly, glancing in the direction Sebastian had gone, "Shouldn't he be back by now?"

The subject change worked, as Undertaker looked in said direction, "He's coming back now."

"Really?" Grell squinted, before a wide smile spread across his face, spotting Sebastian running toward them at an easy lope. Grell threw himself out of the coffin and dashed toward Sebastian, arms outstretched,"Sebas...aah!" Grell tripped over the shovel Undertaker had set down, and fell face first into the ground. That would have been bad enough, except for the fact that Sebastian decided to end his run by landing on the back of Grell's head. "Mpf!"

Sebastian ignored the fact that he was standing on Grell, and spoke, "There are twenty gathered tonight. There are also ten guards posted around the perimeter of the graveyard, including the two we ran into earlier," Sebastian smiled, "If they are like the two we encountered, we will have no problem with them when we leave. As for the twenty gathered, four of them appear to be in charge of the group." Sebastian set his heel down harder to prevent Grell from rising.

Undertaker's smile was gone, replaced with a frown, whether from the way Sebastian was treating Grell, or from the fact that there were twenty people. "What do you plan to do, butler?"

Sebastian rolled a shoulder in a light shrug, "The young master asked that I resolve this case tonight, but he didn't tell me how I was to resolve it."

"..." Undertaker watched as Sebastian stepped off of Grell and waited for the other to stand up.

Sebastian smiled pleasantly at the redhead, "You were sent to collect souls, correct?"

Grell resisted the urge to cringe again and gave Sebastian an uncertain look, before he replied, "Yes...four."

"The leaders?" Sebastian mused, but didn't wait for a response. Instead, he backed away from Grell and turned to Undertaker, "Would you mind assisting him, while I see to the guards? It would be a setback if we were discovered." Again, without waiting for a response, Sebastian turned and walked away, vanishing into the distance again.

"..."

"..."

Grell frowned unhappily. He had thought that he'd get to work with Sebastian...but still...Grell regained his pointed smile, teeth flashing in the moonlit graveyard. If Ciel ordered Sebastian to solve the case tonight, that meant he'd get more days with Sebastian. Grell did a small dance, before dashing off in the direction of where he sensed the group was gathered.

Undertaker stood still for a moment, before picking up his shovel and walking after Grell.

121

William frowned as he headed in the direction of the graveyard, which was still far away. He couldn't tell for sure, but William could have sworn that he had sensed a faint, unpleasant aura coming from the direction of the graveyard...but what was it?

Silence.

William started off at a brisk jog as soon as he realized what he was sensing. Though faint, William was almost positive that it was a demonic aura. Coming from the graveyard, where William had found out a few minutes ago that a soul collection was supposed to take place there. Grell had better be there doing his job. William wondered if he'd get there in time to keep things from getting out of control...

* * *

For some reason the guards were amusing to wirte. Then again, so is Undertaker. Next chapter, Grell actually goes to do his job while Undertaker provide a distraction. WxG chapters should begin in a chapter or two, since William is actually out of his office now.


	9. Graveyard 2

Still not entirely sure how the story is going, but I'll keep posting chapters since it seems like people are reading it. Thanks to Madame Stephanie for reviewing. I hope the WxG chapters will be up in the next chapter or two, since I suppose I did make Sebastian a jerk in this story. Hmm, some violence in this chapter, but I don't think I'll change the rating to M yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji.

* * *

Grell slowed down as he neared the appointed place, and leaned up against a tree to stay hidden the shadows. Grell didn't check to see if Undertaker had followed him, instead peering around the tree to catch a glimpse of the gathering. Twenty men were surrounding a large fire pit, where flamed licked out high into the sky. Grell frowned when he realized that the souls he had been sent to gather were surrounded by the other people of the group.

"Hmm. What should we do?"

Grell twitched in response, wondering when Undertaker had snuck up from behind him. Grell ignore this for the moment, trying to figure out what he _should_ do. He could only reap the souls that William had told him to collect. Grell gave a light sigh of annoyance. He couldn't take any souls that weren't in the book. Grell didn't want to think what William would do to him if he started that again.

Grell shivered involuntarily at the thought of how William had responded to the Jack the Ripper case. He didn't want to have to go through that again. Not only because William had scolded him, but also because of the thought that he might never see his beloved deathscythe again, if he chose to break the rules anytime soon. Grell wondered if Undertaker talked to William, if he'd actually get his scythe returned.

Grell broke out of his thoughts as shouts had rang out from the group. Grell looked around the tree in time to see ten of the group dash off in pursuit of something. Grell had a feeling that it was Sebastian that was the cause of alarm. That was fine with him. That meant there were only ten people remaining, and he and Undertaker would be able to deal with them.

Undertaker appeared to have sensed Grell's thoughts, as he walked past the red head, smiling, "Good luck."

"Uh..." Grell didn't know what to say, and instead settled for watching Undertaker meander in the direction of the remaining men, humming rather cheerfully.

It didn't take the group long to notice the new intruder.

"Hey! Who the hell is that?"

"What do the guards think they're doing?"

"What's goin' on?"

Undertaker stopped a few feet away, smiling in a somewhat dreamy manner, waving at them lazily, shovel still resting over the other shoulder, "Hi~."

"Get him!" One man, presumably the leader, yelled furiously, seething that someone would dare interrupt their carefully planned ritual meeting. Not just one person, but two! The man glanced around. Were there more, hidden in the shadows, waiting?

Six men approached the smiling Undertaker hesitantly, while the four remaining men spoke amongst themselves angrily, trying to fathom how someone could have found out where they were that particular night.

Undertaker seemed completely unconcerned with the men approaching him, and, tapping one finger against the shovel, spoke, "Now would be a good time."

The six men approaching Undertaker came to a halt, puzzling at the smiling man who remained where he was. What did he mean?

The four men standing next to the fire were suddenly overcome with a feeling of unease, as though something bad was going to happen, but they didn't know what. Deliberate footfalls against the ground turned the mens' attention to a nearby tree, where the sound appeared to be originating from.

A shadowy figure appeared next to the tree. A green glow came from eye height, sending chills down the mens' backs. The figure came closer, until the soft glow from the moonlight revealed it to be Grell, who was smiling in anticipation.

One of the men next to the fire thought he heard the shinigami saying something, but his attention was on what Grell was holding in either hand. Tiny scissors. What the hell? What did that fool think he was going to do with those? Give them paper cuts? The man heard Grell's next words as the redhead took a step toward the motionless men.

"Time to die~!"

The men were jolted out of their stupor and went for their weapons. Two guns and two daggers.

Grell went for the closest man first, but found, to his chagrin, that his scissors only made cuts in the clothing, the blades missing the man's throat. Grell dodged swiftly as one of the men lunged at him with their dagger, even though cuts or a gunshot wouldn't slow him down that much. Grell dodged again. He just didn't want to have the hassle of removing blood from his clothing. Grell cast a quick look at his clothing as he leapt out of the way of a gunshot.

Then again, an injury or two might not mater, as the Undertaker had already made a mess out of his clothing. Grell tired to cut the man in front of him, to make that red color blossom before him, but was unsuccessful. Grell jumped back a few paces, scowling in irritation. Normally, he'd have no problem taking out one person with the scissors, but with four of them milling around, and without a real weapon, he was having trouble...

Grell sighed, knowing that he had to gather the souls somehow, mostly due to the fact that he wanted William to give him back his deathscythe and not to tell him how he had done the job wrong. A little praise on a job well done would be most welcome.

"!"

Grell winced, angry with himself that he hadn't been paying attention. The men with the daggers had managed to get in some painful slashes. Two gunshots rang out and Grell staggered , mostly out of shock, as he felt the bullets strike him in the left shoulder blade and abdomen. Well...he had messed up. Grell was entertaining the idea of laying prone on the ground and waiting for someone to come and rescue him. Taking a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm himself, Grell forced himself to stay standing, drawing amazed gasps from the four men. Before they could recover from the sight of Grell still standing, a voice rang out.

"Grell!"

Grell heard the voice, but was concentrating too much on his injuries. Grell, however, wasn't distracted enough to not notice the scythe flying through the air in his direction. A scythe that looked consistent with what a grim reaper would have, the decorative skeleton head and bones connecting the blade to the hilt. Grell took in the scythe's details as he caught it, mouth going slack as he felt some kind of energy. Then the redhead realize the scythe for what it was. A deathscythe...but whose?

121

One of the men was glaring at Grell in fury, wondering why the other wasn't dead yet. His anger vanished as he and the three other men saw Grell catch a scythe that seemingly came out of nowhere.

Grell adjusted his grip on the scythe, and, ignoring his injuries, tried an experimental swing. While an actual deathscythe bothered Grell with its cliche nature, he decided to focus on the matter at hand. A scythe was much better to deal with troublesome souls that his less than adequate scissors.

The four men appeared to have lost their nerve. One panicked badly and ran away, as though to put as much distance between himself and the image of a bleeding, grinning shinigami.

Grell let the man go, deciding to go after him as soon as he had dealt with the other three. Grell lunged at them without warning, scythe held aloft as he swung it and cleaved it through the air, where it connected solidly with one of the men. The man let out a scream as blood flew from his chest, followed closely by a reel of film. Grell ignored it for the moment as he turned the scythe on the other men, whom had frozen in place, horrified. Grell slashed through them without a moments hesitation, and watched, memorized, as the blood arched and fell in interesting ways.

After a moment, Grell shook his head. Weary and not wanting the hassle of judging the men (William hadn't said either way) turned the cinematic records that had sprung forth from the men's bodies into books. Much easier to peruse than a film reeling away a person's life.

Grell, still holding the scythe, gathered the three books and held them under one arm. Grell turned and walked off, leaving the dead behind him, as he went off in pursuit of the remaining man who had fled.

Undertaker watched Grell leave. The six men that had surrounded the Undertaker were down on the ground, either unconscious or groaning. None of the men knew what had happened when Undertaker had had a scythe in his hands. He had almost immediately thrown it in Grell's direction, after seeming to do nothing more than swing the scythe lazily, without the intent to kill.

Undertaker wore a smile, which appeared to be wider than before, as he walked off in the direction Grell had gone.

121

The man ran as fast as he could, cursing the guards he had posted around the perimeter of the graveyard. Incompetent fools. A sudden blur went by him, and the man was forced to come to an abrupt halt, as Grell stood before him, scythe poised and ready. The man only had time for one piercing scream as the scythe flashed down at him, accompanied by the redhead laughing maniacally. Red stained the ground in intricate patterns and Grell was momentarily fascinated by the display. It took him a few moments to collect the film and change it into a book. He didn't feel like dealing with this one either.

With four books under his left arm and his right resting the scythe over his other shoulder, Grell walked away from the man that lay prone on the ground. He had no duty to deal with the body once the soul was gone. He'd let the human authorities make what they would of the four dead men. It wasn't his problem anymore, once he had the souls. Grell returned to the small clearing with the fire pit, but hid himself swiftly, as some authorities were already there, questioning the six men Undertaker had dealt with earlier.

But where was Undertaker?

1211

I didn't know how Grell should collect the souls, so I used the idea from the anime that they can be books. Next chapter, Grell's job is done, but he isn't prepared for what happens next when he tires to talk to Sebastian.


	10. Graveyard 3

Okay, the chapter after this one will lead into the WilliamxGrell chapters. This one just sets up the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

12111212

Not seeing Undertaker, Grell turned and skirted the now crime scene, heading back for the cart that had brought him to the graveyard in the first place. If Grell had looked more closely as he walked, he would have noticed that the three men he had killed were missing, the blood on the ground the only indication that they had been there. As Grell headed back at a leisurely pace, he perked up when he heard Sebastian's voice speaking nearby.

"Your leaders are dead. Move along, or I shall fall behind in my schedule."

Grell passed a few more headstones, before he caught sight of Sebastian, who was backed up against a large gravestone, surrounded by the ten men who had gone off in pursuit of him.

Considering that the ten men were armed with a variety of weapons, most of which were guns, a normal person would have been scared out of their minds. Unfortunately for the men, Sebastian was not normal, and was, in fact, a demon. So, the men's show of force had no effect on Sebastian whatsoever. He merely sighed, as if dealing with humans tired him. Especially humans who fired without warning.

One of the men let out a triumphant yell, which fell into silence with a confused expression. The man fell to the ground, the look of confusion never leaving his face. He was dead before he hit the ground, a bullet lodged in his forehead. Two other men followed suit, dropping to the ground with surprised expressions.

The remaining seven backed away, mostly due to the fact that their companions had dropped dead, but also because the man they had shot at wasn't dead.

Sebastian's actions and words that followed soon after sent chills down the remaining mens' spines.

The demon butler hummed distractedly, examining his outfit and newly acquired wounds as though they were an unfortunate nuisance, "Oh dear...this will take some time to fix...I may need to buy a new outfit altogether."

The seven men dropped their weapons and ran, yelling in terrified voices something about demons, which made the butler smile in amusement. Since Ciel hadn't said specifically to kill them, he couldn't resist the urge to show anyone arrogant enough to attack him what a mistake it was. Still thinking dark thoughts and wondering if he should just go and finish them off, a red blur flew at him from one side. Being distracted as he was, Sebastian was unable to stop Grell from catching him in a tight half-hug. Sebastian had, however, been alert enough to avoid a full hug.

Being almost foiled didn't bother Grell in the least as he leaned into Sebastian's right side.

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched. He did not appreciate the shinigami's sudden invasion of his space, "Let go." Sebastian said in a monotone voice, which merely drew a toothy grin from Grell.

Grell tightened his left arm around Sebastian's tightly and leaned more closely, the redhead's right hand holding the deathscythe loosely, the blade resting on the ground. Grell tilted his head to look up at Sebastian, smile appearing wider than before, "Sebas-chan~."

"..." Sebastian didn't respond, as he was trying to keep the shinigami from getting any closer.

"Thirteen men survived. Was that on purpose, or did you not know how many of them were here?" Grell questioned, an amused tone in his voice, as he awaited the demon's answer. Grell lost his smile a bit when he realized that Sebastian was smiling not at him, but the deathscythe. Grell realized too late that he had left the deathscythe within the demonic butler's reach, and let out a yelp as Sebastian pulled out of his grasp. Grell winced when Sebastian grabbed his wrists and squeezed, trying to get the redhead to drop the scythe.

Grell writhed in Sebastian's iron grip, desperately trying to keep his right hand clasped around the scythe's handle. Grell could sense hostility emanating from the demon, and the shinigami briefly wondered if being alone with Sebastian for a day was such a good idea. Well...it would be if Ciel didn't order Sebastian to follow his orders for a day. Grell smiled dreamily at the thought of Sebastian doing whatever he told him to, even if the demon wasn't particularly happy about it.

Sebastian's grasp tightened as though he had sensed the other's train of thought.

Grell tired to ignore the strain on his wrists, wondering if Sebastian was contemplating on whether or not to break them, "S...Sebas...what are you...?" The question died in his throat as Sebastian had suddenly pulled him up against his chest. Grell's breath hitched as he felt hot breath on his neck, and a low voice speaking close to his ear.

"Is this what you were thinking of? Or..." Sebastian tilted his head so that it rested on Grell's trembling right shoulder, angling so he could reach the shinigami's throat.

Grell went all but limp in Sebastian's grasp as the demon had one hand up under his coat, playing with the vest as though he were thinking of slipping it underneath. Sebastian's other hand was around Grell's back to prevent him from moving away. Grell let out a soft whine as Sebastians's breath was on his throat. Was Sebastian going to kiss him? Grell's eyes slid shut as Sebastian tugged the vest up and ran the hand along the bare skin. If this was a dream, Grell wanted it to last longer...

Then, as suddenly as it had happened, it was gone, and Grell let out a cry of surprise when he found himself falling to the ground. Managing to twist mid fall, Grell it the ground on his left side, rolling a bit before coming to a rest on his back, flustered and utterly confused. Before he could even think about what had just occurred, the deathscythe's blade was resting above his chest. Grell glanced up and found Sebastian standing over him, holding the scythe and wearing a look of utter disgust.

Sebastian, seeing that he had the other's attention, pressed the blade down, drawing a squeak of protest and discomfort, "You're pathetic, falling for something like that. Don't try to pull others into your twisted fantasies."

Grell would have appreciated the utterly cold statement had the demon not had a weapon in his hands, "S...Sebas...!" Grell fell abruptly silent when the blade moved to rest against his throat.

Sebastian's expression looked positively evil now, "The young master never told me not to get rid of you. Only to complete the investigation, tonight."

Grell froze, staring up at Sebastian in horror. Surely, he wasn't going to...

Sebastian merely smiled pleasantly and drew back the scythe, swinging it down at Grell, who barely had time to avert his eyes and cry out.

"Ahhhhhhh! Nooooo! Ahhhh...ah?" Grell felt no pain, so he looked back up at Sebastian hesitantly. He found, to his immense relief, that Undertaker had halted the scythe's progress by grabbing the upper half of the scythe. It didn't look like the Undertaker was making any effort at staying the blade.

Sebastian looked somewhat annoyed that he had yet again been prevented from getting rid of the redhead. Sebastian let go of the scythe and when he turned to get a better look at Undertaker, the deathscythe was gone and Undertaker was smiling. Sebastian couldn't help but think that it was a mocking smile directed at him, even though he wasn't being looked at...at least, he didn't see a gleam turned in his direction.

Undertaker looked down at Grell, who was looking up at him in confusion, before turning his attention back to Sebastian, smile a bit wider, "The earl said that you might try something like that, so he asked I keep an eye on you~."

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched again. That bra...young master...why protect the redheaded shinigami?

Grell glanced between the two men, before getting to his feet and sticking close to Undertaker (who seemed to find this amusing). Ignoring the chuckles issuing from Undertaker, Grell focused his gaze on Sebastian, who was now wearing a neutral expression. Grell frowned a bit at the demon. A thought occurred to him soon after, and Grell's grin returned, "Your 'master' said that I could have you to myself for a day, but perhaps two or three now, since you helped finish the case tonight." Grell watched with satisfaction as Sebastian's expression flickered with alarm, before being quickly smothered as the butler responded.

"You wouldn't last alone with me for even ten minutes. You still want that, even though I could have destroyed you just now?" The mischievous smile Grell gave him put Sebastian on guard. Eyes narrowed at Grell, "The young master told you something else that was a part of the deal, didn't he?"

"Maaaybe~. You'll just have to wait and find out~." Grell said with a wide smile, pleased that he was flustering the other.

Sebastian stared at the smiling reaper, not noticing for the moment that Undertaker had meandered over to the cart humming as he sat down on the driver's seat to wait.

Grell did notice that Undertaker had moved away, and decided that he should follow. Sebastian's aura was getting heavier, seemingly done unconsciously from the demon himself.

Sebastian saw a flicker of fear in the other's eyes and allowed himself a small smile. If he could learn what Ciel had told Grell, he'd be able to figure out a way to put a stop to it. Now...how to get an answer out of Grell without Undertaker interfering...

Sebastian was too preoccupied to notice Grell and Undertaker exchanging glances, obviously coming to some agreement as they both nodded in unison.

Sebastian, unfortunately, noticed too late, as two grinning beings seized him and tied him up with an excessive amount of rope that seemingly came out of nowhere. Sebastian growled something as Grell and Undertaker heaved him into the open coffin and put the lid on, before the demon could even think to retaliate.

Undertaker, still wearing a smile, bolted down the lid, so that Sebastian couldn't break free on his own. Ignoring the sounds of frustration from the trapped demon, Undertaker sat back down on the cart and picked up the reins, glancing to the side at Grell, who had taken a seat next to him. Ready to go?"

Grell was about to say 'yes' when he suddenly realized that he didn't have the cinematic records. "Ye...ahhh! Where'd they go?" Grell looked around the immediate vicinity, before leaping off the cart to go scramble around the gravestones, "Oh no! William's going to kill me!"

"What am I going to do, Sutcliff?"

Grell froze at the voice. William. It was William...here...but why? Grell turned quickly and smiled hopefully at the frowning shinigami a few feet away, "Hello, Will~."

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Grell, you're in trouble now. XD


	11. William

Okay, I've decided that this will be the start of the William x Grell chapters, as William will be in the rest of the chapters from now on.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kuroshitsuji.

* * *

William pushed his glasses up with the end of his deathscythe and observed the guilty-looking Grell silently for a moment. An uncomfortable silence passed as William took his eyes off the redhead and glanced at the cart, where Undertaker was resting and humming something, while the coffin on the back of the cart shook, growls issuing from it.

"..."

Deciding that he didn't want to know why Sebastian was in a coffin (though that was where William thought the demon should be) turned his attention away from the cart. At least the demon couldn't cause anymore trouble than he already had. William had seen the three dead men nearby. At least the demon hadn't devoured their souls. The paperwork involved in explaining why a demon got to some souls even with a reaper nearby was giving William the start of a headache...

Grell had been worried when William looked away, wondering if the other were mad at him. When William looked back at him, with piercing green eyes from behind the glasses, Grell had half the mind to throw himself at William's feet and beg the man not to punish him too harshly.

"Grell."

"Y...Yes?" Damn, he couldn't even keep the tremble out of his voice.

"Need I have to repeat myself?" came the clipped response.

Grell bit his lower lip slightly, unsure how to tell William that he had lost track of the four men's cinematic records in the span of a few minutes. He didn't dare say that he had been distracted by Sebastian.

William sighed inwardly before speaking to the mute redhead, "Did you collect the souls yet?"

"...Yes..."

William's frown deepened. If Grell had collected the souls already, then why was he acting so nervous...unless..."Did you lose them?" The silence that followed the question was uncomfortable, and all but answered the question.

Grell spoke up in a quiet tone, "I...I lost track of them..."

William could feel a migraine coming on. It seemed like he'd be in for a sleepless night once more, "Grell Sutcliff...how does one 'lose' track of souls? You do realize that you could go on probation again, or receive disciplinary action once again?" William would have kept going and causing Grell's expression to grow more horrified, when the Undertaker spoke up from where he was seated.

"Cinematic records? Do you mean these~?" Undertaker held up a stack of four books in one hand and showed them to the two shinigami.

There was a short silence, before Grell broke into a wide smile and threw himself at Undertaker in an attempt to catch him in a hug. Grell was about to thank Undertaker for finding the cinematic records, but the other acted more quickly. Allowing Grell to catch him in a hug, Undertaker held the books out to William, who was wearing a slightly exasperated expression.

"He handed them to me when he went to go check on the butler," Undertaker said pleasantly, and Grell, still hugging him, breathed an inward sigh of relief. He was glade that Undertaker had said something because Grell knew that he wouldn't have been able to lie to William without the other picking up on it.

William eyed the pair of them, from Undertaker smiling, to Grell still buried in a hug against the man's chest. With a small shake of his head, William stepped forward and took the books from Undertaker's outstretched hand.

Undertaker settled back in his seat, Grell not moving from where he clung to the other's clothing.

William frowned and poked Grell lightly with his deathscythe.

Grell let out a yelp and glared over his shoulder at the frowning William, "What was that for?"

Ignoring Grell's indignant reply, William used the tip of his deathscythe to push his glasses back into place, "I expect you to return to headquarters with me as soon as the demon is returned to his irresponsible master." William sighed, "I don't know what he was thinking, letting that thing wander around on his own." Ignoring the coffin that shook angrily, William turned toward Grell once more, "No loitering around once the demon is dropped off. Is that understood, Grell Sutcliff?" Hearing a sullen 'yes' in response, William walked closer and sat down on the cart, near the coffin.

Grell pushed away from hugging Undertaker to look at William with a frown of his own, "What are you doing, Will?"

William fixed Grell with a glare, "Making sure you don't try and stay longer than you must."

Grell slumped in the seat, facing away from William, not liking the tone the other had spoken to him in. It sounded as though he would be in for a lecture when he got back to headquarters with William...Grell blushed faintly when he glanced to the side at Undertaker, realizing that he had thrown himself all over the other man. Undertaker was still smiling, as little wider than usual, as he urged the horses into motion and headed for the graveyard's exit.

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Grell had been silent for most of the ride back to the Phantomhive mansion, mostly due to the fact that William was sitting close behind him and Grell wasn't sure if he should be saying anything...but the silence was terrible. Something about the trip to the graveyard came back to him, and Grell let out a little gasp, which drew the two other's attention to him. Seeing that Undertaker had looked over at him, Grell asked, "That scythe...it was a deathscythe...was it yours?" Grell held still as Undertaker lifted his left hand and ran it through the red hair. Grell could almost feel the puzzlement rolling off of William.

Undertaker drew his hand away, a small grin making its way onto his face as he turned his attention to the road once more, "Hmm, I wonder. Wouldn't _you_ like to know..." Undertaker lapsed into silence, as did Grell, who knew he wasn't going to get an answer out of the Undertaker unless he could get him to laugh...

Grell thought about ways to do that, until the cart pulled up to the front of the mansion. The coffin was shaking more now that Sebastian presumably knew where he was, while William eyed the coffin distastefully, wondering how much overtime the demon had caused him that night.

Undertaker got off of the cart and headed for the side of it, ready to let Sebastian out of the coffin. Undertaker paused when he noticed that Grell was behind him, and William frowned at the evil smile Grell wore. Undertaker tilted his head, "Yes, what is it?" Undertaker let out a small sound of surprise when Grell trapped him against the cart, grabbing his clothing. William raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going through the redhead's mind.

"If I make you laugh, will you tell me about the scythe?"

Undertaker's expression, which had been mildly surprised, changed into a wide smile, "If you insist. Try and bestow a great laugh and I will...!"

Before Undertaker could finish, Grell's smile had widened and he tugged the other's clothing, managing to slip his hands underneath, and grinned when that drew a surprised intake of breath. _'Got you.'_ Grell moved his fingertips lightly against the Undertaker's skin, tickling him.

Inside the coffin, Sebastian was growing frustrated. The cart had stopped, yet no one had let him out yet. They weren't just going to leave him there, were they? No...they wouldn't...that would be too awkward to explain, and not to mention suspicious (his clothing was still ruined). Sebastian had managed to free himself from being tied up by now, and was about to try and force himself out of the coffin when he heard the prelude to eventual discovery.

Undertaker laughing.

"Uwwahahahahaahaaaa!"

William winced from the close proximity of the sound, frowning unhappily, while Sebastian managed to barely prevent himself from wincing at the sound. The butler was silently cursing Grell for deciding to make Undertaker laugh in the middle of the night. Just what did Grell want to know this instance that he had to do that now?

There was a quiet exchane between Grell and the Undertaker, before the coffin lid was removed.

Sebastian waited patiently as the lid was moved, and quickly got out of it, not bothering to even try to fix his clothing, because he knew it was a lost cause. Completely ignoring William, who had gotten off of the cart, Sebastian fixed a glare on Grell, who, amazingly, didn't flinch. Instead, the redhead smiled at him and whispered something to Undertaker, who was standing next to him.

Undertaker smiled in response, and with another whispered sentence to Grell, put the lid on the coffin and climbed back onto the cart. He waved lazily to William, who in return merely jerked his head in a nod. The cart started to leave, and Undertaker's voice could be heard as he left, "Give my regards to the Earl, and don't hesitate to come calling if you need answers~." With that Undertaker, his cart and horses vanished into the distance.

There was an awkward silence, broken by a surprised gasp and a thump.

Grell whirled around and saw that Sebastian had knocked William down to the ground, and was currently cracking his knuckles and throwing a meaningful look in Grell's direction, a light, dangerous smile on his lips. Grell took one look at the smiling demon, before turning and running in the direction of the mansion, Sebastian right on his tail and ready to cause some damage.

Behind them, William recovered from the surprise attack. The dark-haired man stood up, shaking his head, furious that he had allowed the demon to catch him off guard.

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Inside the mansion, Grell had managed to get into Ciel's bedroom before Sebastian caught up with him, barring his teeth in a pleased way.

The commotion, however, had woken Ciel up, and the boy sat up in bed with a yawn, eying the scene in his room. Sebastian throttling Grell with a sadistic smile in place. Ciel sighed. At least that meant that the case had been resolved. Though Ciel wondered with Sebastian's reaction, if Grell really thought it was a good idea to be alone with Sebastian. Ciel smirked. Well, he knew how Grell would manage it, but Sebastian didn't, not yet. Sighing again, Ciel spoke up, "Sebastian, let go of him."

Sebastian merely flicked his gaze in Ciel's direction and tightened his grasp.

"Now."

Still nothing.

Irritated, Ciel opened his right eye, "This is an order, Sebastian. Let go of him now. You are not to harm him."

Sebastian's eyes flashed faint surprise as he reluctantly released his hold on Grell, who dropped to the ground in a wheezing pile of red.

Ciel managed to not flinch at the glare Sebastian had fixed on him, somewhat worried with the way one of Sebastian's hands was clenching and unclenching. As if the demon were wanting to hit something, but couldn't hit Grell, nor could he lash out at the boy. At least, Ciel hoped that was the case. Ciel answered Sebastian's unasked question, "Grell and I made a deal, and besides, I don't want to go through the trouble of explaining to William that he lost an employee."

William suddenly appeared in the room, menacing Sebastian with his deathscythe. The shinigami glanced over at Ciel, "You would do well to keep your demon on a tighter leash." Glancing at Sebastian, William spoke, "Grell, get up."

Grell sat up, but glanced at Sebastian, who was looking at Ciel. Grell winced as he was hit over the head by William with the deathscythe. Grell turned his gaze to William, about the snap a response at him, when he saw the expression the other was wearing. Comment dying away, Grell looked away as he stood up.

William moved his deathscythe away from Sebastian, "We are going. Now."

Grell didn't need to be told twice, and he leapt out of the open window. With a final irked glare at both Ciel and Sebastian, William went out of the window after Grell.

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Grell trailed after William, lost in thought and not realizing that the other was speaking to him. After getting smacked over the head with the deathscythe again, Grell reluctantly tuned back in and heard William speaking in a cold voice.

"Grell Sutcliff." William had turned around to face him.

Grell raised his gaze to meet William's and offered a hesitant smile, "Yes, William?"

William frowned at the smiling reaper. Obviously, he had lost Grell during his threat to put him on probation and take all of his privileges away as well as make him do paperwork for years. Making sure that Grell was paying attention, William tried again, "Had the Undertaker not had the cinematic records of the men, you would have been facing probation with loss of privileges, as well as the potential of doing a desk job for several years, under my supervision."

Grell had had to smirk at the desk job comment, before the rest of the words sunk in. Grell gaped wordlessly at William, but couldn't find the words to speak. Instead the redhead settled for staring at William worriedly.

William adjusted his glasses, shooting a disproving glare up at where he could see Sebastian staring out the window at the pair of them before he turned, "We're going to headquarters to finish this discussion."

Grell took a step after the dark haired man, but held back, hesitant.

William turned slightly to regard Grell with one eye, "Either you come with me of your own free will, or I will drag you back myself, by your hair again, if I must." William started to walk again, and this time, he heard footsteps following after him in an attempt to catch up.

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Took me awhile to get to the Will Grell stuff. Ugh. Oh well, at least the rest of the story is mostly just the two of them, with Sebastian and Undertaker occasionaly showing up. Since I'm on summer break, I should be able to update more often. Next chapter will be up in around a week. It'll start with a little discussion between Ciel and Sebastian, before focusing on Grell and William.


	12. Chapter 12

Got the chapter up sooner than I thought.

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Sebastian watched the two shinigami until they were out of sight. When he couldn't sense their presence anymore, Sebastian closed the windows and pulled the curtains shut, shrouding Ciel's room in darkness. Sebastian paused for a moment, listening. All that could be heard was Ciel sleeping, as the boy had gone back to bed after William had left with Grell. Smiling faintly, Sebastian headed through the darkness of the room, untroubled by the lack of light.

Sebastian exited the room quietly, before walking down the hall at a leisurely pace. He hoped that Grell would not show up again at the mansion. Sebastian, however, wasn't sure how long William would be able to keep Grell from coming back. Awhile, hopefully, since the reaper was hurt from the graveyard. He'd probably realize that fact soon, though the injuries weren't life-threatening.

Pity.

William might find himself one employee short if he wasn't able to keep the redhead from bothering him. Sebastian kept walking down the hall. Though, if the red headed reaper kept quiet, Ciel would forget about the deal, but if Grell did happen to remind him...then Sebastian just might have to act on his own to prevent the deal from happening. Either way, he didn't need to worry about what to do with Grell, at least not until morning.

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Meanwhile...

Grell followed William a few steps behind, concerned that if he walked alongside the other, the dark-haired man might hit him over the head with the deathscythe. Again. Looking at the back of William's head, however, didn't give Grell any indication about how the other was feeling at the moment...although Grell wasn't really sure that he wanted to know.

"Grell."

Grell looked up in time to stop himself from bumping into William's back, as the other had stopped walking. Fidgeting unconsciously, Grell asked a hesitant, "Yes, Will?"

William ignored the shortened version of his name, "What happened...in the mansion before I got there?" He turned around to look at Grell, awaiting an answer.

Grell avoided eye contact as he explained in a quiet tone about how Sebastian had been trying to strangle him. Grell heard footsteps and was surprised to find William walking away. Grell kept up with him, knowing that they were heading to the dark-haired shinigami's office. Grell fingered the scissors he had in his pocket, hoping that William wasn't going to take them away as well. William hadn't even said anything about what Sebastian had done to him back at the mansion. Grell wondered if he were going to be in for a lecture.

Unaware of Grell's worries, William had some of his own. He was torn. One one hand, it bothered him that Grell hadn't listened to him about not seeing the demon. On the other hand, he was angry at the thought of Sebastian harming Grell. William shook his head, trying not to think about it too much as he entered his office. William waited patiently for Grell to enter before closing the door. Noting Grell's unusual silence, William pulled a chair over to be in front of his desk, and went to go sit down. Sitting, William watched Grell sit down on the chair and avoid eye contact. Odd.

William knew that Grell would remain in his seat, and stared across the desk at him, trying to fathom what was going on in the other's mind.

The silence that was in the office was horrible, and went on for nearly ten minutes.

Grell was now trying to figure out how to get out of the office and headquarters, without being followed and not being asked where he was going. Which seemed fairly impossible at the moment.

William seemed to have sensed Grell's thought process, because he finally spoke up, "Sutcliff, you will leave when I say you may, understand?"

Grell had been in the middle of the idea of reclaiming his deathscythe on the way out, when he heard William speak. Grell looked at him and, seeing the serious look the other wore, gave a defeated sigh, "Yes, William."

William didn't think much of Grell calling him by his name and not a shortened version of it. It did bother William a bit that Grell was being so compliant, when he would have normally been complaining about where he was and trying to leave by either annoying him or flirting with him.

Grell slumped back in his chair, sighing. It was going to be a long wait.

Several hours later...

William had started to do paperwork and was still at it. The dark haired shinigami was aware of Grell shifting around uncomfortably in his chair in front of the desk from time to time. William heard light sighs, but chose to ignore them, not wanting to give Grell the chance to try and charm his way out of the office. William finished another file and set it aside, picking up another one and opening it. It wasn't nearly as distracting as William would have thought with Grell sitting in front of him. Perhaps it was because the redhead was being so silent, with the exception of the sighs.

William paused with one hand reaching for a pen. Was Grell all right, or had he actually been injured by the demon? William picked the pen up and turned his attention to the file. If Grell was well enough to sigh and shift around, then William assumed that he was fine...but still...

Holding back a light sigh, William tapped the pen on the file. Knowing he might regret this, William looked across the desk at Grell, and found the other staring at the ground, looking miserable. The sad expression on Grell's face made William somewhat concerned, "Grell?"

Grell twitched, but otherwise kept his eyes on the ground, "..."

William frowned, studying the other's eyes. They were sad all right, but there was some kind of detachment, like he was off in his own little world. William tried again, "Grell Sutcliff...what are you thinking about? You're being...unusually quiet."

Grell was still staring down at the ground, refusing to look up. Twitching, Grell finally responded in a soft tone, "I thought you didn't want me to speak when you work."

It was true, William supposed, but he didn't really expect Grell to have actually listened to him. William would have thought that Grell would have at least voiced his displeasure, "I thought you would speak up. It is not like you to...listen. What is wrong with you?"

Grell looked up sharply at that, and William was somewhat taken aback at the flash of fury passing across the redhead's face as he spoke up indignantly, "What is _wrong_ with _me_? Why should I tell you if you're not even going to bother to respond to what I say anyway?" Grell crossed his arms and looked away, body tensed up.

William stared at Grell silently. Well...that was more of an... expected response...but what did Grell mean? Then it hit him. William realized that Grell had meant that he hadn't said anything in response to what the redhead had told him Sebastian had done to him in the mansion. William frowned. That was what was bothering Grell? Or was there more to it? William looked at Grell, "What do you want me to say to you? Did you want me to feel sorry for you, when I had told you that you should stay away from the demon?"

Grell, his arms still crossed, turned his head and locked eyes with William. He didn't even respond to the comment about Sebastian. Instead, Grell said in a hurt voice, "I wanted...you to say something._ Anything_. I didn't want silence. It's worse than you scolding me...especially when I can't tell what you're thinking."

William stared at Grell silently, baffled. Grell had wanted him to respond to the idea of Sebastian strangling him (or trying to)? Silence, in Grell's opinion, was worse than scolding? Was that why Grell was being distant, because he hadn't answered him then? While it was an interesting to learn something new, William didn't want to have to deal with a depressed and/or sullen Grell. As improbable as it was, he wanted the cheerful Grell back. Although William hoped the flirting could be kept to a minimum. Non-existent, if possible.

William looked back at Grell once more, seeing that the red head's arms were now uncrossed and that he was looking at him and expecting an answer, hands clasped a top his lap now. William looked down at his desk in silence before speaking, "This isn't like you...and it is rather...disconcerting...considering your usual demeanor." Had William been looking at Grell he would have seen a quick look of surprise cross the other's face.

Grell heard William say something else, but it didn't register. Instead, he was focused on the fact that it sounded as though William were worried about him. Why else would the dark-haired man say that he wasn't acting like himself? Grell tuned back in to hear William finish speaking.

"...Were you wounded during your mission? Your clothes are ruined."

"Wounded..." Grell repeated, confused. Now that William mentioned it...he did still have a bullet wound and a few dagger slashes. His clothing was ruined thanks to Undertaker, but Grell had forgotten all about being injured once he was moving and had found Sebastian. He had been ecstatic about the thought of having the demonic butler all to himself...and after the graveyard, Grell had been preoccupied with how to get Undertaker to laugh, plus William was watching him. The Grell had had an adrenaline rush from being chased by Sebastian...and having William take him back to headquarters.

William saw Grell wince, apparently unconscious of it, and spoke, "Although I expect details in your report...how were you injured?" If it was because of that demon...

Grell had a hand to the middle of his chest, frowning as he thought about it, as well as realizing that now he felt hurt, "Got cornered...shot in a shoulder blade. Slashed a few times." Grell paused, then added, "Someone called my name and I caught a scythe. Realized it was a deathscythe...didn't know whose it was..." Grell stopped abruptly, suddenly not feeling well the more he focused on the pain.

"Grell?"

Was he supposed to be feeling dizzy? That didn't seem right...

"Grell!"

Strange. Grell thought, as he toppled over. He could have sworn William had caught him before he hit the floor. Grell passed out, wondering if that had really happened, or if he had just imagined William helping him.

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Next chapter will be up when I can finish typing and editing it.


	13. Chapter 13

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Later...

"...I see."

"I'll take my leave then, sir."

"Very well."

Footsteps walking away. Then silence.

Grell opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. He remembered fainting, but...he wasn't in the office anymore...so, where was he? Grell winced as he sat up, noting that someone had taken care of his injuries (which felt in the process of healing) but had left him in some gaudy white nightshirt that Grell was almost certain didn't go very far past his knees. Ignoring this for the time being, Grell decided to look around at his surroundings for a clue as to where he was.

It was a plain-looking room, devoid of any kind of decorations. There was a window nearby, but the sky was too dark to see anything. There was a desk that was neat and orderly in one corner of the room. Opposite the small bed Grell was resting on was a half-open door, where low murmuring could be heard.

Grell thought for a little while while, before he began to smile faintly. Was this William's home, or somewhere in the headquarters? Grell hoped it was the former. William had never invited him over. Not that there was any need to, but Grell had wanted to see it, at least once.

"You are awake."

It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. From William, of course.

Grell had been thinking of saying something suggestive about where he was, but instead responded with a neutral, "Yes."

William entered the room and closed the door behind him. Then, he turned and faced Grell, who was attempting to sit up straighter and look like he was paying attention. William decided to ignore this and instead sat down on the chair that he had pulled away from the desk earlier. There was a moment of silence, before William spoke, "Grell, why didn't you say you were injured? I would have sent you to the infirmary instead of taking you to my office."

"I...I forgot..." Grell said softly in reply.

William sighed, "In any case, you're lucky the bullet didn't cause any permanent damage. Meaning you should heal at a regular pace...as for the cuts, those should heal, even with the delayed treatment there shouldn't be any trace of scars..." William kept speaking as Grell peeked down the night search in search of any hints of scars, "...I've spoken with the director, and it was decided that the run-in with the demon wasn't on purpose...and since the souls you were to get were collected, disciplinary actions will be minor."

William saw Grell's frame slump with relief, before adding, somewhat reluctantly, "After speaking with the director, I talked with Undertaker...about returning your deathscythe, with some restrictions. Undertaker was going to go get it an hour or so ago."

Grell stared at William in disbelieving silence, before he smiled, teeth showing.

William knew then that Grell was back to normal, and if he needed more evidence of this, Grell got out of bed, still smiling. William decided that if he were smart, he'd stand up. A widely smiling Grell in a nightshirt that barely brushed his knees was a disturbing sight. William quickly stood up and turned toward the door as he spoke, "Get some rest Sutcliff. I want you back to work in the next day or two." William managed to take two steps toward the door, before Grell wrapped his arms around him from behind. Grell leaned up against him comfortably, resting his head on William's right shoulder.

Irked, William tired to free himself of Grell's grasp, but was unable to as the redhead merely tightened his arms around his stomach. Having the other reaper pressed up against him like this was disrespectful and a little unnerving. However, that wasn't what was bothering William so much. It was more the idea of suddenly wondering if Grell wore anything beneath the nightshirt. William immediately decided not to pursue that thought. He didn't want to encourage or give Grell any ideas, "Didn't I say you needed to get some rest?"

Grell's voice adopted a slight whine, "You're going to leave me all alone?"

"...I was going to go to my office to finish my work for the day," William responded in a clipped tone. Grell's red hair was spilling over his shoulder, tickling his throat lightly as he felt Grell's breath on his neck at the same time.

There was a sigh, then a more interested, "Office? I didn't know there were guest rooms in headquarters."

"Of course there aren't. This is my house. I have an office here as well," William cut himself off, but it was already too late. He could almost see Grell's smile widen into a grin.

"Ohh~ Will took me to his house."

"Either go back to bed or I will use force, if necessary." William told the other half-heartedly.

Grell instantly picked up on the sound and hugged William, if possible, more tightly, "Eee~! Will _does_ care. You were worried, weren't you? When I didn't finish my job right away. Right? That's why you came to check on me~!"

While William tried to argue against Grell's assumptions, neither shinigami noticed the bedroom door open. Only a soft laugh could be heard from the newcomer at the sight found.

Grell was currently keeping a tight grip on William from behind, not letting the other go, despite William's best efforts to get away. So, with Grell in his barely long enough nightshirt pressed up against William from behind was what Undertaker saw when he came into the room unannounced.

Undertaker tilted his head, smile visible as he observed the two of them, "You don't appear to be too injured."

The sudden appearance of Undertaker caused both William and Grell to freeze, then stare at the smiling man in surprise.

Undertaker's smile widened upon being noticed, "It seems that you two are busy~. I just stopped by to bring this." Undertaker held up something familiar looking...

Grell relinquished his hold on William and went over to Undertaker, matching the wide smile with a sharp one of his own, "My deathscythe!"

Undertaker handed the chainsaw over and watched as Grell hugged the sharp weapon and murmured to it as though it were alive. This amused Undertaker, but annoyed William.

The chainsaw suddenly vanished and Grell turned and hugged Undertaker, "Thank you for getting my deathscythe back for me! I didn't think I'd see it again."

"What was that?"

Grell froze mid-hug. Didn't William know why Undertaker had asked him about the deathscythe? Grell suddenly realized that he wasn't hugging Undertaker anymore, and that the gray haired man was headed towards the door. Undertaker waved at the two in the room as he left and shut the door behind him.

"Have fun~."

There was a long silence.

William looked at Grell's back, "So...care to explain what he meant?"

Grell thought about trying to leave the room as well, but decided that since he wasn't in the best of shape, William would be able to catch him. Aware that William was watching him, Grell went back over to the bed and sat down. When nothing was said, Grell shifted uncomfortably, one of his fingers picking at the nightshirt, which now that he was sitting, barely touched his knees.

"Grell?"

William sounded remarkably calm. Interesting...was he waiting to hear an explanation before responding?

"Grell."

Grell sighed inwardly, glad that he had sent away his deathscythe away until he actually needed it. That way, William couldn't take it away so easily. Grell saw that William was waiting patiently for an answer. Grell avoided eye contact as he spoke, "Well, we were in the graveyard, and Sebas-ch...er...Sebastian, went ahead to scout out the area. I was talking, mostly to myself, about how it was going to be hard to get four souls in one job. Undertaker wondered why and I said that it was because my deathscythe had been confiscated and that I had to use tiny scissors. Undertaker said he'd talk to you after I collected the souls and finished my job..." Grell drifted off and stared down at his hands resting lightly on his lap, waiting for William to reply to that.

William stared at Grell for a moment, not even thinking about the other's deathscythe. Instead, he was thinking about how to voice his displeasure of allowing Sebastian to run around without supervision. What if he had devoured some souls? it would have been a hassle to fill paperwork out. Good thing the demon wasn't alone for very long. "The demon shouldn't have been alone without his master. What would you have done if he had stolen some souls?"

Grell looked at William, "The brat ordered him to focus on solving the case, and to not do anything else but report back once it was finished," Or that was what Grell had hoped Ciel had told Sebastian.

"..." William supposed the demon would follow orders, but there was always a chance to find loopholes. Not that Grell would realize that anytime soon. William withheld a sigh, "As soon as you have recovered, I'm sending you on another soul gathering mission."

Grell pouted, "That soon? Will, I just barely finished the last one. Can't I take a short vacation, so I can be fully healed before going away again?"

William turned and headed for the door once more, "Sleep, Sutcliff. Tomorrow, I'll give you more details about the job."

"...slave driver..."

William sent his deathscythe over his shoulder, resulting in a cry of surprise, "Did you say something?" The deathscythe went back to its regular size as Grell responded with a quiet,"No." William opened the door and went through, before closing it behind him and locking it. If the windows and doors were locked, Grell would be more likely to give up trying to perhaps escape and actually get some rest.

121

Inside the guest room, Grell had heard the door lock with a click and sighed. Guess he wasn't going though the door. Sliding out of bed, Grell changed with some difficulty into a plain white shirt and black pants, as his own clothing was nowhere to be seen. It probably had been thrown out with all the rips. Grell could only hope the red coat hadn't been thrown out as well.

Grell smiled to himself as he walked over to the window and opened it. Or, at least, he tried to open it. "Eh?"

Why was the window locked...and reinforced with steel?

121

Downstairs, William was calmly going through paperwork, blatantly ignoring Grell's incensed cries upon finding himself trapped in the room.

"William! You cold hearted bastard!"

Maybe if he ignored the redhead, he'd settle down.

William!"

Or nor. William didn't think that Grell would try anything drastic...

Rnn...RnnnRNN!

Or maybe he would. William dropped what he was doing and hurried out of the office and up the staircase toward the guest room. Grell's happy laughter sped up William's steps, and the dark-haired man hoped he could stop Grell before he caused any property damage.

1212

Again, the next chapter will be up when I can finish typing and editing it.


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you for the reviews. I'm glad the story is going all right, and I'm hoping that some of the line breaks stayed this time (Microsoft word is being difficult).

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

William unlocked the door and, once he assessed the situation, moved quickly into action.

William darted forward, and blocked Grell's deathscythe with his own, and grabbed Grell's arm to stop him from trying to swing the chainsaw. William supposed that it was a good thing that the chainsaw had turned off and Grell wasn't trying to squirm away. With a sigh, William spoke, "Didn't I tell you to get some rest? Had you used your deathscythe to break the window or the door, I would have confiscated it again." William glanced back to said weapon, then realized that it wasn't there anymore. Grell must have sent it away. Withholding another sigh, William let go of Grell and backed away, to allow the other to sit down on the ground and sulk.

William was not impressed, "Are you going to behave and rest, or do I need to tie you down to the bed to make you?"

"..."

"Grell?" William stiffened in surprise when Grell stood up suddenly and draped his arms over his shoulders.

Grell smiled when he saw the look of confusion on the dark-haired man's face and leaned in closer so that he was resting his head against one of William's shoulders. Grell traced a pattern on William's back with a finger, "Why would Will lock me up in a room all by myself?"

William was somewhat distracted, but tried to take control of the situation, "This is hardly appropriate..."

"Why don't you answer me?"

William reached up to untangle himself from the other's embrace, but Grell clung more tightly, refusing to let go. At this rate, William wouldn't be able to get anything done. Though...it wasn't so bad, having the redhead so close, tickling his throat with his breath...at least Grell had changed into a shirt and pants...William shook his head lightly. What was he thinking?

"See you later, Will~."

William started, momentarily stunned as he realized that Grell had let go of him and had fled out of the room. William gave chase. He wasn't about to work extra overtime because Grell suddenly decided that he wanted to have a vacation, "Sutcliff! Get back into that room!"

"No! I don't want to!" Grell assumed that if he stayed, he wouldn't be going anywhere neat Sebastian for a long time. William would make sure to keep him busy.

"Grell!"

Grell raced out of the house, seeing freedom a few feet away. Grell heard William swing his deathscythe and dodged it, despite the slight pain it caused. Nearly there...Quite suddenly, Grell found himself face-down on the ground, dazed. Had William tripped him with his deathscythe? "W...William~." Grell sat up, wobbly, and let out a yelp when he was shoved back down to the ground again. Grell decided to stay where he was, and glanced sideways to see William frowning down at him...and he was holding something, but not his deathscythe...it looked more like...rope? William had been serious when he threatened to tie him to the bed? Grell scrambled to his feet, prepared to run again, when William grabbed him by his hair and proceeded to drag him back to the house, "W...Will! Not my hair...I can walk! Let go!"

"..." Really, why did he put up with Grell?

"What's the rope for? Were you serious about what you said earlier?"

William entered the house without a word and all but dragged the redhead up the stairs and back into the room.

"William!"

William shut the bedroom door and let go of Grell's hair, at the same time shoving the other onto the bed.

Grell caught himself on the bed and turned around the glare at William, "How dare you treat a lady like this...!"

William stared coldly down at Grell, who quailed slightly under the other's intense stare. When he saw that Grell wasn't going to attempt to move, William approached the bed, making the rope in his hands more apparent. He pounced.

"Ahh! William!"

"..."

"Oh my~!"

"..."

"Are we playing a game?"

"..."

Grell winced as William tied his arms behind his back with more rope than was necessary. Grell attempted to wriggle out of reach, but was unable to. With his arms tied up like this, Grell doubted he'd be going anywhere, anytime soon. Grell saw William produce some more rope, and quickly protested as the dark haired shinigami approached him again, "W...Will..."

An annoyed glare silenced Grell, and William used the extra rope to tie the other down to the bed. Stepping back, William stared down at Grell, who looked away, wearing an expression between embarrassment and misery. William left the room without a word, not feeling sorry in the least. At least, that was what he was telling himself, because he had felt something akin to guilt, before pushing it away from his mind for the time being. He could at least get some work done, now that he didn't have to worry about Grell trying to use his deathscythe to aid in an escape attempt. The way he had tired the redhead's arms would prevent Grell from freeing himself, deathscythe or otherwise.

Back in the guest room, Grell sighed unhappily and tried to settle on the bed on his side, so as to not aggravate his healing injuries. Since he couldn't really move, he might as well get some sleep. Hopefully Ciel wouldn't mind if he showed up at the mansion a little late. The boy had promised, after all.

Silence, then...

"Will~Why'd you throw the pillows off the bed?"

-x-

Despite trying to stay awake, Grell found that he was exhausted. Unwillingly he fell asleep, unaware that something was outside the locked window, staring down at the shinigami with calculating eyes. In the silence of the room, there was a very faint sound of the window lock being undone slowly, carefully.

The window opened without a sound, although technically there should have been, as the window had ben older and creaky. A shadow slipped into the room from the darkness outside. It paused briefly, to check if its intrusion had been noticed.

Silence.

The shadowed figure smiled to itself, pleased. That meant it would go undetected, until it woke its sleeping victim. Hopefully the other one in the house wouldn't interrupt it. The figure crossed the room and locked the door. With one fluid motion, the shadowed figure was next to the bed, looming over the tethered, sleeping Grell.

Grell shifted in his sleep, as though able to sense a change. Some warning alarm in the back of his mind woke him up. Sleepily, the redhead tried to figure out what had woken him up. Grell then realized that he wasn't alone, and glanced to the side, seeing something standing next to his bed. Grell was about to say something, when a gloved hand suddenly clamped over his mouth, preventing speech. Grell let out a quiet whine, muffled due to the hand covering his mouth.

"The young master never stated when I was not to harm you." A pause, then, "I believed we were interrupted last time," Something was in the other gloved hand. A cloth or something, "We shouldn't be bothered right now. After all, he thinks you're a nuisance as well, doesn't he?"

Grell hoped William didn't think so, but focused on trying to get the hand off of his mouth. Unable to, Grell ceased struggling momentarily when he saw the expression of the other standing there.

A sharp, white smile and smoldering eyes.

Grell renewed struggling against the rope, though he knew it was useless. William was too good at tying knots. This was not how he had imagined meeting with Sebastian. As he tried to get Sebastian to let go, Grell wondered vaguely if William would help him, or if the other reaper would just ignore what was happening...

-x-

Downstairs, oblivious to the danger Grell was in, William worked away in his office. It had been blissfully silent, meaning that Grell must have finally fallen asleep. William set aside a document that had had a decent proposal, and tossed a failed regulation proposal into another pile. William wrote on the next document with a bit more force than he meant to as he thought about all the trouble Grell was causing him. really, why was he even bothering picking up the slack when Grell couldn't do his job properly? William paused mid-sentence, frowning. Was it because they were in the same department? Even so, why was he the one to step in and get Grell out of trouble? William twitched, accidentally drawing a line off the paper and onto the desk.

Twitch.

William shook his head. The only reason he had taken Grell to his own home and not the headquarters infirmary was because he didn't want Grell scolded while he was still recovering. William didn't want to have to see a teary-eyed Grell again. It almost made William feel guilty...

Pause.

Where the hell did that come from? Admittedly, William disliked seeing Grell unhappy, but that was only because he couldn't stand picking up all of the extra hours because the redhead's motivation was down. That was all. It wasn't like he felt bad about it...and it wasn't like he cared...he just wanted Grell to do his job correctly. Yes, that was all. William resumed going through paperwork. If he didn't care, then why was there a lingering feeling of guilt? Grell hadn't had that much of an effect on him, did he? William frowned more deeply, before absorbing himself in his work. Grell could take care of himself. On the rare occasion he might need help, like if he had let his guard down around a certain demon.

William stopped again, wondering if he shouldn't have tied Grell up so securely. William shook his head. No, Grell would be fine. Unhappy, but fine. Besides, Sebastian didn't know where he lived, and the demon couldn't act on his own without permission. William would finish the documents, then go check on Grell, to make sure he hadn't tried to run away again.

Everything would be just fine.

* * *

William better go help Grell, with Sebastian wandering around at night. (I'm hoping more lines showed up than x's and lines-I'll keep working on it). I also hope that there aren't any gramatical errors and reads smoothly (I beta my chapters myself).


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you for the reviews! I tried a line break in a few spots, but put a divider in case it doesn't work (I'll be putting the A/N at the bottom of the story starting on the next chapter).

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Back upstairs in the guest room, Grell didn't think anything was fine. Not when you were tied up to the point that you were defenseless and at the mercy of a smiling demon. Who still was covering his mouth with one gloved hand. Apparently, Sebastian was drawing out his helplessness and enjoying every moment of it. Anger suddenly built up and Grell had had enough. Twisting his head to one side, Grell opened his mouth and sank his teeth deeply into Sebastian's hand, and held on. Grell would have attempted to grind his teeth, but Sebastian had pried his mouth off with his other hand.

"Want it rough, do you?"

Grell opened his mouth to snarl a response, when Sebastian jammed a bit of cloth into his mouth, gagging him. Grell was about to spit the cloth out, when Sebastian tied more cloth around his mouth securely. Grell made a muffled whine of discomfort, then winced involuntarily as Sebastian broke the ropes that tied him to the bed. Grell held perfectly still as Sebastian ran a hand down his vest. The reaper closed his eyes as the demon started undoing the buttons. Why had William thought it a good idea to tie his arms behind his back?

A ripping sound caused Grell to open his eyes, and realized that instead of untying him to get his shirt off, Sebastian had merely pushed aside the vest. The demonic butler had then ripped the white shirt down the middle, and pushed that aside as well, exposing the skin. Grell shivered as a now gloveless finger traced a line down his chest.

"I believe I'll torture you slowly, for a little while. No one _will_ hear you scream."

Grell tired to move away, but Sebastian pinned him against the bed to stop him from getting very far.

Sebastian stared down at Grell, "You thought I was going to do something else? Do not make me sick. You should know better by now."

Grell closed his eyes again as Sebastian dragged a nail roughly across his chest. A chill went down his spine as Sebastian spoke again, this time in an even softer tone.

"Now then...shall we? Let's see how long it takes to rid myself of you..."

Grell stopped trying to get away and focused on trying to ignore the pain Sebastian was causing with his nails. While Sebastian thought of more ways to torture him, Grell was only thinking about one person. _'William...I'm sorry...' _

_-x-  
_

William was still working diligently away when he suddenly had a feeling of unease...but why? William stared at the office door, silent for a moment. The dark haired shinigami suddenly froze. He could have sworn he heard a thump, like someone had fallen onto the ground. It had come from upstairs...but Grell was tied up...

"!" William lurched out of his chair, racing out of the room, deathscythe in hand. He ran up the stairs as quickly as he could. William had sensed it faintly but there was no doubt about what it was. It had been Sebastian's demonic aura. As William headed for the guest room, he could only scold himself for deciding to tie Grell up. Bet the demon liked helpless prey...

Once he realized that Sebastian had most likely locked the door, William veered into another room and peered out of the window to the left. He saw that the guest bedroom window was open. Damn demon. Bracing himself, William leapt over to the open window frame and prepared to lash out at Sebastian as soon as he saw him. William landed inside the guest room and swung his deathscythe at Sebastian's back, but missed as the demon had dodged at the last moment. William moved to stand in front of Grell, blocking him from the demon's view as he readied his deathscythe for another swing.

Sebastian and William stared at one another, as though testing each other, before Sebastian offered an evil smile and vanished out the window.

William remained in a tense position until he sensed that the threat was gone. Deathscythe vanishing, William turned with slight apprehension to check on Grell, and winced.

Grell lay curled up on the ground, rope no longer binding him. He looked more like a mangled mess.

William knelt next to the redhead, brushing some hair from the other's face absently as he checked the injuries Grell had received. The first thing William noticed was that Grell's glasses were nowhere to be seen, presumably on the floor somewhere. William's eyes hardened at the sight of the gag. No wonder he hadn't heard anything. William loosened the gag and, with a scowl, threw away the two-part gag. In the darkness of the room, it looked like there was blood in and around Grell's mouth...did that mean that he had bitten Sebastian?

It better have hurt the demon.

William shook his head and resumed checking for injuries, hands running lightly over the other. The obvious injuries were scratch and gouge marks across Grell's chest and stomach, with what felt like a few broken ribs. The way Grell's arms were laying suggested that there might be some breaks in them as well as his legs. He couldn't bring Grell to headquarters like this. There would be too many questions. The doctor that had seen to Grell's other injuries wouldn't be back until morning. William glanced back down at Grell, looking at his face again. Grell's eyes were closed, but...had he been crying?

Dammit.

William came to some internal decision. Scooping Grell up carefully, he stood up slowly. Crossing the room, William unlocked the door and exited the room, closing it and locking it behind him. William walked down a narrow hall, until he reached his own room. William entered it, and after grabbing an old med kit, sat down on his bed and rested Grell across his lap. As he silently cleaned the wounds, he wondered why the injuries weren't already healing themselves.

After treating the wounds as best he could, William settled Grell on his back on the bed, before dragging a chair over to the side of the bed. Once he had sat down, William absently ran a hand through Grell's hair. It was very soft. William didn't know when, but he dozed off, head on the bed, one hand unconsciously clasping Grell's nearest hand, as though worried Grell would vanish if he didn't do so.

After a few hours fitful sleeping, Grell woke up, wincing before going still, realizing that something was holding on rather tightly to one of his hands. What had happened to him rushed back at Grell full force, and made him feel miserable. The last thing he remembered was Sebastian throwing him to the ground and proceeding to attack him. After that, nothing. He must have been knocked unconscious. Grell continued to lay still and let his senses drift. Sebastian's aura wasn't anywhere nearby...but someone was in the room with him. Grell tilted his head to the side and stiffened further, this time in surprise.

William was asleep, resting in a chair, but was leaning forward so that his head was on the bed and was clutching Grell's left hand with his right.

Grell lay still, waking up some more as he studied William's sleeping form. Had William saved him, stopped Sebastian?

-x-

William woke up after a few hours rest, somewhat surprised with himself for actually falling asleep. The night's event's caught up with him and he sat up, turning his attention to the bed to check up on Grell. Who wasn't laying in bed anymore. William might have started to worry then, but since he considered himself to be calm and logical, William held still and listened. He heard the sound of water, coming from _his_ bathroom. William relaxed a bit, but was also annoyed that Grel was using his bathroom without permission...but at least that meant Grell was healing since he could walk around.

Unsure of Grell's emotional state, William didn't dare go into the bathroom. Instead, he occupied himself with finding clothing for the red head to wear. He didn't think that Grell would have been thinking of anything else other than cleaning the new injuries. William hovered outside the bathroom door, wondering why he was even feeling anxious. He heard the water draining and heard Grell moving around hesitantly, as though he were worried about being too loud. William realized that Grell was trying to not wake him up.

The door opened, and Grell held back a surprised gasp at seeing William standing outside the door.

Before Grell could say anything, William handed over the pile of clothes, "Get dressed. I want to speak with you."

Grell took the clothing, before he nodded his head slightly, ducking back into the bathroom and closing the door.

William went to sit back down on the chair, wondering if he should have worded the sentence in a different way. He hoped Grell didn't think he was in trouble.

-x-

Inside the bathroom, Grell dressed with some difficulty, as he was still feeling stiff in his arms and legs. Even though they were healing, Grell could still almost feel where the bones had been broken. Grell slipped the white shirt over his shoulders, buttoning it automatically. Not only had he been injured, but now William wanted to talk to him. To scold him perhaps? Grell rested a hand against his head. He didn't feel good, and William wanted to have a discussion with him.

Head swimming, Grell's expression changed into a scowl. It was William's fault for tying him up and leaving him defenseless, leaving him to fend for himself. William had probably come into the room after Sebastian was done with him. Yes, that must have been it. It wasn't like William would have heard him scream and cry. Sebastian had seen to that. Grell paused, hand on the door handle. Why should he listen to what William had to say? He didn't really care what happened to him...but what was he supposed to do? William wasn't about to let him leave the house, and Grell knew that he didn't have enough strength to try another escape attempt. It would take him a few days to fully recover, and even with all that Sebastian had done to him, Grell still wanted the deal he had made with Ciel...

Grell swayed slightly, head pounding and hurting more now, causing his thoughts to become even less coherent. He needed to get out. The pain had made Grell forget all about Sebastian for the moment. Grell frowned...how could he get past William? Grell supposed he could use his deathscythe and hope that William would either let him go or get rid of him. Grell didn't see any point to saying where he was if William didn't give a damn whether he were there or not.

The chainsaw appeared in hand, and Grell opened up the door, deciding to let whatever happened, happen. He'd swing his deathscythe to see how William would react,and would let him decide what to do. At least Grell would be able to see how William felt by the way he reacted to sudden danger.

William heard the door open, and glanced over to assess how Grell was doing mentally and physically. A red flag went up in William's mind as he watched Grell exit the bathroom. The red head's face was blank, eyes appearing distant. William stood up calmly, deathscythe in hand as soon as he spotted the chainsaw being held in Grell's hand loosely. William tensed as Grell stopped walking, only a few feet separating them, "Grell?"

Grell didn't respond. Instead, he swayed a little, before the chainsaw revved up and the red head threw himself at William without warning.

* * *

At least William went and helped him, though he'll have to explain things because Grell isn't all that happy after what happened with Sebastian. Yes, another cliffhanger. Sorry. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible (and there hopefully aren't any mistakes, as I kept having to add letters to some words becase ffn wasn't saving it for some reason).


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Rarely was William surprised. This was not the reaction he had been expecting from Grell at all. For one, he didn't think Grell would have been able to move so quickly while recovering and two, William would have thought Grell would immediately start questioning him on how he (William) had gotten him away from Sebastian. William supposed he could injure Grell further to stop his mad dash with the chainsaw revving loudly, but he was more curious with what was going through the other's mind. Such as why Grell was attacking him like this.

Acting swiftly, William dodged at the last moment, the chainsaw missing him by a hairsbreadth. Deciding that Grell _was_ still injured and not up to full strength, William did two things at once. Using his deathscythe, he knocked Grell's deathscythe from his grasp and tackled the red head, pinning him on the ground face down. William set aside his deathscythe for the time being as his hands pinned Grell's arms down, William's legs keeping Grell from moving his own.

After trying in vain to free himself, Grell went limp, the will to fight leaving him.

"Grell."

Grell let out an unhappy whine. His head still hurt, but it seemed like his thoughts were becoming a bit more clearer. Grell then realized the mistake he had done, attacking William. At least when the chainsaw had been knocked out of his hand, Grell had sent it away.

"Grell."

Grell held perfectly still. What could he say? William had disarmed him instead of hurting him further. Disregarding this fact for the time being, anger welled up in him once again. Before William could ask anything, Grell spoke up in an accusing tone, "So, how long did it take for you to find me? You didn't just watch him torture me, did you?" Grell heard William about to say something, but put in one final accusation before he lost his nerve, "You would have been happier if Sebastian had gotten rid of me, wouldn't you? Then you wouldn't have to put up with me. You obviously don't care, leaving me alone somewhere, defenseless."

William loosened his grip on Grell's arms, staring down at the other, expression unreadable. His mind, however, was racing. Grell had thought that he had let Sebastian hurt him. Even if he disliked Grell, he would never have let a demon near him. Though, that part of Grell's words wasn't what was bothering him. It was the other part that did, that Grell thought he'd be happier if he were gone. It wasn't true...well, William wouldn't mind if Grell was transferred to another branch, but that wasn't the same thing. Although William didn't want to admit it, he was used to Grell's presence. Whether he liked it or not. It had become normal for him to hear Grell bursting unannounced into his office.

William frowned down at the still figure beneath him. If he really hadn't cared, he wouldn't have intervened earlier. Grell was misinterpreting things, and William felt compelled to correct it, "Grell."

"Let go of me."

William was taken off guard by the soft voice, but remained where he was, "Not yet, Sutcliff...not until I correct your misinterpretations." William heard a sigh, then silence. He took that as compliance. "I did not think that the demon would come here, otherwise I wouldn't have tied you up," William paused, thinking how best to word his thoughts, "I was in my office, and I started to feel...uneasy. When I heard something hit the floor upstairs, I went up as quickly as I could," William eased up off of Grell and walked over to the desk in his room, "...I chased Sebastian away. I wasn't sure if he had meant to hurt you more or not...I brought you to my room, the windows are more secure. I saw to your injuries, as they weren't healing right away."

William had his back turned to Grell, so he didn't see him sit up, "Don't say that I want you gone. I only want you to do your job correctly." Heaving a sigh, William turned and glanced down at Grell, "Do not say that I don't care. If I really didn't, I would have left you to the demon."

"..." Grell looked away. If William did care, however unwillingly, could he really still go through with the deal he had made with Ciel? After William had saved him from potentially being snuffed out of existence? He wasn't sure if he could anymore. Grell didn't want William to be more disappointed in him...and willingly going to the mansion where Sebastian could hurt him again...William wouldn't come and help him if he decided to do that.

"...What are you thinking about?"

Grell looked up at William and found that the other was holding a hand out to him. Grell grabbed the offered hand and let William help him to his feet, where he stood uncertainly. William hadn't let go of his hand, "Will?" Grell still as William stepped closer, his free hand seizing Grell's chin and tilting it, so that they were looking at one another.

"You're thinking about that demon, aren't you?"

Grell shifted his gaze to the side, away from William's. The dark-haired man could read him too well, "A little," Grell admitted. No point in lying. William would see through it.

"Grell."

The cool voice made Grell look back at William, and saw his questioning gaze.

Grell hesitated. If he told him about the deal, then William would either make sure he had no unsupervised vacation time, scold him for the very idea of it or not care. Seeing that the stare was patient, Grell decided that if William would allow him to volunteer answers, and not threaten them out...then...Grell gazed directly at William and by then the other had let go of his chin, and looked unsure of what to think of the redhead's nervous expression.

William wasn't prepared for Grell to suddenly close the distance between them and bury his face against his shoulder, one arm wrapped tightly around his back, as William still held one of his hands. "Grell Sutcliff..." William began warningly, falling silent when Grell muttered something, "What was that?"

Grell muttered his response again and felt William stiffen. Grell stayed where he was, worried that when William thought it through that he would kick him out of his house.

William appeared to have sensed Grell's unease, as he spoke calmly, "You are staying here, as long as you let go."

Grell drew away reluctantly, noting vaguely that William was still holding one of his hands. He wouldn't find out why until later on in their conversation.

"Why did you make a deal with Ciel Phantomhive?"

"Well...it was more like he made a deal with me. Sebastian was off gathering information one day, so Ciel was alone. He needed protection and asked if I would accompany him." Grell explained, running his free hand through his hair.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd agree. Why did you?" William wondered, watching Grell closely.

Grell smiled despite the pain Sebastian had inflicted upon him, "He said that he'd let me do whatever I wanted with Sebastian for a day."

"..." Of course, why hadn't that occurred to him? William sighed, wondering why Grell still insisted on his infatuation on the demonic butler when the obviously had no interest in him whatsoever, "How would you keep him from killing you if you were alone with him?"

"Ciel would have ordered him to do whatever I say and not hurt me in any way..." Grell replied, staring off dreamily into space as he thought about what he'd do to Sebastian. Maybe torture him awhile and use his chainsaw to cut him bit by bit, see more of his cinematic record...

"Grell?"

"Hmm?" Grell looked back at William, coming back to reality when he saw the other's disproving expression.

"What exactly were you planning in doing with the demon?" William was worried about the answer he would receive. Then, he decided he didn't want to know, "Never mind...but how could you want to go through with this after what he's done to you?"

Grell looked away, "..." He didn't know how to explain it, and even if he could, he didn't think William would understand, "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand," Grell didn't think it was possible for William to get jealous, but Grell felt William tighten his grasp around his hand, causing Grell to look at William again.

"What wouldn't I understand? That you want to engage in illicit activities with a demon that is not interested in you, so you need his master's help to get him to do what you want?" William questioned smoothly. Ignoring the look of surprise cross Grell's face, he continued, "Is that what you want? Some false love, to satisfy your curiosity about demons? Do you have so low an opinion of yourself that you don't think you can do better? That you would be with someone who would end you without a second thought?"

Grell was staring at William, at a loss of what to say and unsure how to interpret the other's words. Was William saying he should look for someone else other then Sebastian..well...yes, but then who?

"You need to get some rest. Your injuries won't heal if you don't get some rest." William commented, leading the red head over to the bed, before Grell could say anything. William pushed Grell into a seated position on the bed, well aware that he still held onto Grell's hand.

Grell looked down at William's hand, "You're not going to leave me alone again, are you? What if he comes back?" Grell fell silent as William let go of his hand and loomed over him, brushing the red hair out of his face.

"I'm going to go get some paperwork from my office and come back."

"...But..."

"Quiet." William said it a little more harshly than he meant to, but it silenced Grell almost instantaneously. In a calmer voice he added ,"I won't be long."

"...Okay..."

William turned to go, but paused halfway to the door. He turned and went back, stopping in front of Grell, using one hand to tilt Grell's chin up again. Seeing the confused look on the other's eyes, William leaned in closer and rested his head against the side of Grell's head, breath brushing the other's ear as he spoke softly, "You can stay alive for a few minutes, can't you?"

"Y..Yes," Grell responded in a slightly flustered voice.

"Lay down. I want you to sleep when I return." William thought he should leave before he did anything he might regret, but ignored the thought. Instead, William dipped his head a bit and brushed his lips against Grell's throat, drawing forth a soft exclamation of surprise. He stayed there a moment longer, before drawing back, eying Grell, who had dropped backwards onto the bed, quiet. William left the room, heading to his office. He wondered if he should have tried that a long time ago, if simple affectionate gestures could make Grell so compliant...well..William hadn't tried before, knowing it was because he wouldn't have been able to handle the other constantly reminding him.

William shook his head. He wouldn't be able to get away from Grell now, especially since he had been the one to initiate things this time around. When it came to Grell, William supposed that things wouldn't always go as planned. It could be frustrating at times. William couldn't help but wonder why either of these things didn't bother him nearly as much now.

* * *

XD

Thanks of the reviews! I'm glad people like it. I'll get the next chapter up in a couple of days. I finally figured out how to end this story, but it could go up to 20-25 chapters total, maybe more. I'll keep typing and see how it goes.


	17. Chapter 17

FYI-starting from ch.16 and on, (though throughout the whole story I suppose) there will probably start to be some more ooc, though I'll still try and keep it as IC as possible.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

William arrived in his office, but didn't dwell too long in it. The way Grell had sounded doubtful was making him annoyed for some reason, and it bothered William that he couldn't place why it did. William shuffled through a few stacks of paper and documents, scowling faintly. He had seen the doubtful look before Grell had dropped down onto the bed. William selected the documents he wanted, leaving the office within minutes. He was going to question Grell at some point, but maybe after the red head had gotten some sleep.

William moved a little more quickly. He wanted to get back to his bedroom before Grell could accuse him of taking too long. William knew he should have gotten some sleep as well, but for the time being, Grell needed it more than him. He knew the only way Grell was going to sleep was if he stayed awake in the room with him, alert in case Sebastian decided to sneak back into his house. William entered his bedroom, closing and locking the door. For the time being, William ignored the fact that Grell was still where he had left him, and went to set the paperwork on the desk nearby.

William seriously doubted that Grell was already asleep even though he was laying still. He'd give Grell some time to try and fall asleep before saying anything. William sat down on a chair and got to work at the stack of paperwork he had set on the desk. The room was silent except for the page turning and pen scratching. William got through two reports before he set his pen down. Without turning around, he spoke, "I believe I said that I wanted you to sleep when I returned."

"...I can't."

William turned at this and eyed the still form of Grell, "Why is that?" Stupid question, really, but William felt compelled to ask it anyway and get Grell's response. William watched silently as Grell at up stiffly and stared at him in incredulous silence. William gazed back blankly, answering Grell's unasked question with one of his own, "Do you really think I would let that demon anywhere near you right now?"

Grell kept his eyes on William for a few moments, considering it, before dropping back onto the bed with a half-convinced, "No."

William turned the chair so that he could see Grell more easily, eyes narrowing. Why should it matter to him that Grell didn't entirely believe him? William sighed lightly. Maybe it was bothering him because he was used to hearing everyone agree with him without question. Grell was one of few who didn't. William turned again and started to pour over the documents. He needed a distraction right now.

William was able to concentrate for a little over an hour, before he stopped once more. Grell was still awake, and it was sort of insulting, because that meant that Grell didn't entirely trust him to protect him while he slept. William understood the reasoning, and silently cursed Sebastian and whatever the demon had done to make Grell unable to calm down enough to sleep. The thought nagged at William until he couldn't take it any longer. He did not want to deal with a sleep deprived Grell. William organized the paperwork into different piles, and made a note of where he left off.

That done, William stood up and crossed the room to put the light out, before walking past the bed and checking to make sure the window was secure. Satisfied, William pulled the curtains shut, plunging the room into darkness. William could feel anxiety coming from Grell, but didn't say anything. William changed into the pajamas he had left in a chair near his bed, glad he had turned out the light first. He wasn't sure if Grell had turned over to see what he was up to. Changing into pajamas would have amused Grell, injured or not, and William didn't want to hear any of the flirtatious comments. Besides, he was about to surprise Grell as it was.

William slipped off his glasses and settled them onto the nightstand next to the bed, deciding to look for Grell's glasses in the morning. William needed sleep, as he had been up for over 36 hours, which wasn't exactly a good thing for a shinigami to do. William sat down on the bed, ingoing the intake of breath from Grell, and sighed faintly. He resigned himself to the fact that after tonight, it would be hard to keep Grell from pestering him.

William lay down, hesitating for a moment as he figured out where the other was laying. Without a second thought, William reached out and grabbed a hold of Grell, the red head uttering a small cry of surprise. William rested his head on a pillow as he looped an arm around Grell's waist and pulled the startled reaper up against his chest. Hearing incoherent stutters coming from Grell, William tightened his grasp, though he was mindful of the injuries. William felt Grell's hair brush up against his chin, but could tell that Grell had fallen more or less silent.

When he thought Grell would hold still, William moved his right arm away from Grell's waist and grabbed Grell's right hand, squeezing it lightly to get the other's attention. Pointless, really. He had gotten Grell's attention as soon as he had grabbed him. William relaxed a bit as he spoke, "Will you sleep now? The demon will have trouble attacking the two of us. Besides, I'll wake up if I sense anything demonic close to us." William heard a small sound which he took for agreement. William brought their hands up against Grell's chest and rested them there, "Get some rest. I don't want you making any mistakes if you're too tired." With that, William fell silent, resting and waiting for Grell to fall asleep.

Grell shifted slightly, feeling absolutely shocked that William was in the same bed and was pretty much hugging him. If he didn't feel so bad, he would have tried asking William if he felt all right. He would have thought William would have kept doing paperwork, not telling him to sleep again. Grell had been surprised when William had turned out the lights, and tried to squint through the dark. He had heard clothes rustling, and he had smiled, a few comments about how William was changing so close by coming to mind. Grell had refrained from saying anything, not wanting to give William a reason to leave him alone again. Grell closed his eyes and shifted minutely. Though, he wondered if he _could_ fall asleep, being so close to William. It didn't seem real. Maybe he _had _fallen asleep and was now dreaming.

Yes, that had to be it...

-x-

Undertaker liked to have amusement in his life. It could be something simple, like a well told joke. Sometimes, no words were needed. Visuals were more than enough entertainment to get a good laugh. The latter was the type Undertaker found, as he entered William's house unannounced, somehow managing to get inside William's locked bedroom. Undertaker stared at the two sleeping shinigami, smiling. They appeared fast asleep. Oh well, he'd wait until they woke up to tell them why he was there.

-x-

William woke up slowly, trying to figure out why he had fallen asleep. He had been having a horrible dream, mostly due to the fact that events led to Grell on his bed. As William woke more fully, he became aware that it hadn't been a dream, that the previous night events had happened, Why? It was because Grell was sleeping next to him, and at some point during the night, had turned over and draped one arm loosely over William's waist. Grell's right hand was balled into William's nightshirt, and was nuzzling his head beneath William's chin. Grell had apparently done all this while asleep. Interesting.

William moved Grell's arm off of his waist, and was trying to get out of bed without waking Grell. Too bad Grell woke up too, sleepily wrapping his arm around William's waist again, muttering unintelligibly. William withheld a sigh and spoke, one hand on the arm resting over him, "Let go. It's morning, and I need to get to work."

Grell merely clung to the dark haired man, lifting his head to look at him, "Are you going to leave me here, all alone?"

"...As I'm sure you're still healing, yes. I'll be gone for a few hours, and then I'll come back." William responded, trying to get himself out of the red head's clinging embrace. William frowned. He didn't have time for this, and was trying to figure out how to get Grell to let go, and then try and get him to sleep some more while he went and worked. Thinking back to the night before and how Grell reacted, William decided to take drastic measures. Especially if he were to get anything done. Unaware that the Undertaker was lurking just inside the room, William spoke again, though in a different tone, "Grell."

Grell pulled away from William's chest and glanced up at him, slight confusion on his face. Grell studied William's tousled hair, before gazing into the other's eyes as though trying to figure out what he was thinking.

Unfortunately for William, the green eyes boring into his was making him rethink the action he had been thinking of pursuing. Maybe words would be enough...William lost that train of thought when he felt Grell run a hand through his messy hair, seemingly amused with the state it was in.

Grell felt William tense, and leaned in closer, so that their noses were nearly touching, "Are you all right, Will?" Grell let out a surprised yelp when he suddenly found himself on his back, with William looming over him and pinning him to the bed, "W...Will?" What did William think he was doing...and why was he looking at him like that? Grell's hands clenched the sheets loosely. The other's expression made him somewhat nervous. It was a calculating look, underlined with something Grell never thought William capable of.

Grell's eyes slid shut as William ran deft fingers along his arms, until the hands were on either side of his head, massaging the temples. It felt terribly good. Grell's body went limp, as William moved to massage his shoulders and neck, working out the stiffness and knots. Grell kept his eyes closed, enjoying the sudden attention from the normally cold and distant man...but why was it making him feel so uncomfortable?

William left off on the massage, resting his hands on the bed on either side of Grell's head, while keeping himself from laying on top of the red head. William had felt Grell go limp, but he wasn't sure whether it was because he was nervous or if the massage had relaxed him.

"Will?" It was a quiet question, with a hint of worry and uncertainty.

"..." What was it about Grell that made William start to not act like himself? William stared down at the red head, who was eying him hesitantly. William decided that he didn't matter why at the moment. William dipped his head down and caught the other in a sudden kiss, pleased that he had surprised Grell. William thought to shock Grell into complying, so of course, his actions backfired.

Grell was momentarily dumbfounded. He couldn't believe that William, cold-hearted, uncaring 'follow-the-rules' William, was pinning him to the bed and kissing him. Deciding that he must be in a dream, Grell wanted it to last, as he felt it was too good to be true. So, when William broke the kiss and made as if to pull away, Grell acted quickly.

William was understandably shocked himself when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around the back of his neck and pulled him back down into another kiss. In the back of William's mind, he wondered vaguely how Grell had turned the tables on him. He needed to regain control. William collapsed on top of Grell, eliciting a sharp gasp from the red head and allowing William to deepen the kiss. William soon found himself mirroring Grell's movements, as the redhead had begun to drag his hands through his hair.

William felt Grell toying with the buttons on his nightshirt and wondered how far he should let this go. Feeling a playful nip on his lower lip that threatened to draw blood, William decided to not think about it and instead, growling, returned the gesture. At the moment, he wanted very much to be back in control so he could make sense of things.

Just as William and Grell were halfway through pulling each other's shirts off, an ear-splitting laugh rang out.

"Uwahahahahahahahaaa!"

Both Grell and William froze at the sudden sound.

Apparently, Undertaker, still lurking in the room, had lost it at the sight of the free strip tease.

* * *

Yes, Undertaker is going to show up more in the story again. I like to think he likes to lurk around and see if he can find anything to amuse him.

Based on the number of fav/alrets I guess I'm doing something right with the story. I'll just keep updating as soon as I type up each chapter. I have the rest of the story already written out, though I'll probably tweak the ending a bit. Random thought of the moment is that I really dislike the story title but I couldn't think of anything else.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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Undertaker hadn't known what to expect when he entered William's room. As soon as the two other shinigami woke up, however, he did find out rather fast. He had had to laugh at the sight of William and Grell undressing each other, but there was another reason why he had laughed. It was the fact that William had initiated the kiss. That, along with the dark-haired man's usual feelings toward Grell (and the fact that William tried to keep emotions separate from his job) had set Undertaker off.

The laughter had snapped William back into reality, and he quickly rolled to one side, off of Grell. He did this mostly to avoid showing anyone the faint blush that had appeared on his cheeks. Grell, on the other hand, seemed disappointed that the two of them had been interrupted. Grell winced slightly as he sat up, then froze. This wasn't a dream. It was real. Grell completely ignored Undertaker as he stared at William in disbelief. Then, Grell began to smile. William had actually _kissed_ him. Grinning widely now, Grell inched across the bed and hugged the tensed up William from behind, "Will _does_ care~."

William wore a long suffering expression. He had been right, he wouldn't be able to get rid of Grell now. He would not, however, put up with Grell's flirting when he didn't want it. William grabbed Grell's hands to prevent the red head from unbuttoning his shirt further, "Not now, Grell."

"Ohh~. So we can do this later?"

"No...that's not what I..."

"Eeeh! Going to be cold again? Oh, Will~." Grell buried his face between William's shoulder blades, "Are you sure I can't warm you up right now?"

"...Quite sure," William said stiffly, ignoring the part of his mind that wanted him to finish what he had started. As William slid out of the redhead's embrace, he reached over and retrieved his glasses, slipping them on. William got out of bed and stood up, turning to face Undertaker, who was still standing where he was, smiling in amusement. William narrowed his eyes as he frowned, "What are you doing here, and how did you get in here? The door was locked."

Undertaker crossed the room and sat down on the chair next to the desk, "I came here to tell you that the director was looking for you. You might want to get over to headquarters as soon as possible, looking presentable."

At that, William quickly found and outfit and went to the bathroom to change. Withing moments, William exited, looking as he always did, well groomed and professional.

"Your tie is crooked," Grell informed William in an amused tone, though his smile was fading. Now that he was awake and thinking more clearly, the previous night's events came back to him, and his fear of being alone skyrocketed from a moment ago.

William adjusted the tie automatically, walking over to stand next to the bed and stare down at Grell, "If Undertaker stays here, will you sleep? I should be back by the evening." William cast a quick look at Undertaker to see if he'd agree. Seeing the nod, William turned and left the room, wondering why the director was looking for him.

Once William was gone, Grell slumped back onto the bed and tried to rest. He didn't want to have an awkward conversation with the Undertaker right now.

-x-

William arrived at headquarters as soon as he possibly could, though he found himself preoccupied with thoughts about Grell. Would he actually sleep while he was gone? Would Undertaker make sure nothing happened to him? Would Sebastian leave Grell alone? William shook the thoughts away for the time being. He needed to focus on work right now. Once he was finished, he could worry about Grell. Besides, it wasn't like Grell was going to be whisked away from the room with Undertaker keeping an eye on him. William shook his head lightly, stopping in front of a door and knocking. First, he was going to find out why the director had been asking for him.

-x-

Grell couldn't sleep. He couldn't close his eyes for more than a minute, worried that if he fell asleep, Sebastian would turn up again. Grell just couldn't fall into a deeper sleep without William there. While it was reassuring to have Undertaker in the room, keeping watch, Grell felt he as more protected when William was around. With a sigh, Grell opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling with a blank expression. He was really sleepy...

"Can't sleep?"

Grell slid a glance over at the Undertaker, who was still lounging on the chair next to the desk. The gray-haired man was currently amusing himself by rearranging items from Williams desk drawers and reordering the paperwork on top. Grell smirked. Oh, William was going to _love_ that...and he'd probably blame him and not Undertaker. Grell shook his head and turned his attention back to the ceiling, "No, I can't sleep..." Grell heard soft laughter, but chose to ignore it as he closed his eyes and tried again to fall asleep.

Undertaker, meanwhile, had found some paperclips, and was connecting them and then putting them all over the desk, smiling as he did so.

-x-

Grell awoke to finding himself warm and drowsy. Grell sleepily stayed where he was, before he was aware of an arm looped around his waist. Then, he realized that his back was up against something. Grell tried to get up to see who was holding him, but he was held down.

"Rest. Undertaker said you've only gotten about three hours of sleep."

"Wi...William," Grell relaxed into the other's half embrace, one hand going to wrap itself around William's hand. There was a silence, during which Grell enjoyed being close to the other. A thought then occurred to the red-head, "Will? I thought you had to go to headquarters for awhile."

"I was...I had some work to do to the director...and then I gave a brief overview of what had happened during your job. The director told me to keep an eye on you, for now."

Grell heard the undertone and spoke up softly, "Am I in trouble?"

"...No. At least, not for the moment. I will need your report, before anything can be decided," William responded.

Grell managed to turn over and looked up at the other man nervously, "Do I have to mention Sebastian?"

"Yes. Unless you want to be held responsible for unwarranted deaths," William said, allowing Grell to snuggle up against his chest and rest an arm over him.

Grell settled his head beneath William's chin, sighing lightly, "Am I going to be in trouble anyway for allowing Sebastian to be there in the first place?"

"Perhaps. Again, I'll need to see your report. I might be able to tell you."

Grell groaned and clung to William more tightly, forgetting about his own injuries, "Hasn't what happened to me after I collected the souls punishment enough?" Grell felt William stiffen, and the redhead added, with a faint smile, "Not you, Will~. I meant Sebastian."

William closed his eyes, not in the mood to argue in any form. "Sleep. I need you to write that report in the morning."

Grell remained close, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep. Worry about what could happen kept him awake. Soon, however, Grell drifted to sleep, knowing that William was with him.

Undertaker watched the two sleeping shinigami, before standing up from the now cluttered desk (which William hadn't noticed yet). Undertaker left the room quietly, closing the door after him.

William was still awake and heard the other leave, but didn't bother to go check and see if the door was locked. William was fairly sure it was. As such, William knew that he would wake instantly if any demonic aura came anywhere near him. William fell asleep, deciding he needed it. William could only hope that his workload wouldn't increase over the next couple of days when he couldn't attend to it. Grell's grasp tightened in his sleep, and William also decided that he'd make sure that nothing too harsh would be done to him.

Somehow...

-x-

William awoke with Grell's limbs wrapped around him. How did he manage that in his sleep? William sighed, trying to figure out how to get Grell to write his report. While he was thinking, Grell woke and sleepily blinked at the serious expression on the other.

"William?"

Said shinigami looked at Grell with a less severe expression, "I need to bring in your report of the graveyard, today." William held still as Grell untangled himself and turned over, a huff of annoyance audible. An almost smile appeared on William's face, but it was gone just as quickly, as he got out of bed and went into the bathroom to change clothes. William, once dressed, went over to his desk, irritation crossing his face when he saw the messy state his desk was in. He wondered if the culprit was Grell, but had a sneaking suspicion that it was really Undertaker's fault, though he couldn't fathom why the other man would do that. Shaking his head, William fished out some blank paper and a pen. Grell had turned over again so that he wasn't facing William, but the dark-haired man spoke anyway, "Seeing as you obviously aren't going to do anything work related, tell me, in detail, what happened during your mission. I'll write it."

Grell turned over to stare at William's back in surprise, before smiling a little, "...well..." Grell spent the next fifteen minutes explaining how he had finally located the area the four men's souls were at, which had taken him over two weeks. Grell then explained how Sebastian had gotten involved, up until the point William had arrived. As Grell waited anxiously for William to say something, Grell hoped that William wouldn't ask why he had been so flustered. Grell really didn't want to tell William, of all people, that Sebastian had been pretending to seduce him, in order to get him to drop his guard. Grell had been relieved that Undertaker had been around to help him.

William straightened out the report and using another blank piece of paper, wrote down a list of possible violations.

_Took longer than necessary to retrieve souls._

_Allowed a demon near the to-be-collected souls._

_Lost track of souls for a few minutes while demon still around._

_Allowed a demon to be at site of soul collection with the knowledge demon was there._

William scribbled out a few more things, then stared down at the list he had made, frowning. Most were minor violations, though depending on the severity of allowing a demon near the souls, William wasn't sure how strict the punishments would be.

A hesitant voice spoke up, "William?"

William glanced up from the paper and over at Grell, who was waiting, looking nervous. William sighed, "I can't say specifically, but the punishment could be anything from demotion and probation, to something like extra paperwork." William stood up and collected he report, "I'm going to go bring this in. Undertaker said yesterday that he'd stop by again today. I wont be gone long."

Grell huddled beneath the blankets as William left the room. Grell's arms and legs still hurt, but at least it felt as though the breaks were nearly healed. Grell closed his eyes. Maybe if he fell asleep, William would be back sooner. It didn't help that whenever Grell closed his eyes, images of Sebastian's smile and hurtful words would wake him right back up. Grell clenched the sheets. _'William...'_

-x-

William returned a few hours later, and went into his bedroom, only to be set upon by Grell, who wrapped his arms around him tightly and refused to let go. William sighed, wondering how long it would be before Grell would be able to be alone on his own. Whatever the demon had done had actually scared Grell and William couldn't remember the last time the red-head had actually been afraid (apart from the time Sebastian had tried to kill him with his own deathscythe).

"Will? Am I in trouble?" Grell whined, clinging tightly.

William set about untangling Grell from him, and, holding onto either of Grell's shoulders, spoke, "You are lucky, Sutcliff. The director has decided that the run-in with the demon wasn't entirely your fault, and since the souls were collected, no serious punishments will be taken. You will, however, have more jobs to do, which I will supervise. Extra paperwork will be given, and you will work overtime for other reapers."

Grell stared at William, before letting out a shaky laugh and going limp.

William still held onto him, and brought Grell back over to the bed, "Sleep now. I'm going to take you out on another job tomorrow."

Grell resigned himself to the fact that he would be working more, but was glad he wasn't being punished more. Grell had a sneaking suspicion that William had spoken up in his defense. Not that William would admit it willingly. Grell smiled, "Are you going to keep me company, Will~?"

A sigh.

* * *

Undertaker XD. Working on the next chapter. Sebastian will be back, and will be unhappy with Ciel.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

One month later, William had deemed Grell fit to work on his own again, and the supervised job assignments would be cut to only half the time. Grell had agreed to this, though he had begun to enjoy it when William would go with him on soul collections. At least Grell had managed to get William to agree to letting him go over to his house after work to relax and hand in mission reports.

Three evenings later...

He was exhausted. No one, not even a shinigami, should have to work such a long day. It wasn't fair! Grell sighed as he walked down the empty street, heading for William's house. A sudden inhalation of breath and a weary sigh caught Grell's attention and the red head glanced to the right. Several paces away, Ciel was in the process of getting into the carriage, Sebastian holding the door open.

Upon seeing Grell, Ciel came back out of the carriage, much to Sebastian's obvious disapproval. The demon glared at Grell malevolently as the reaper came over to them.

Grell could sense Sebastian's upset aura, which was bordering on either becoming fury or disgust. Grell ignored Sebastian as best he could as he focused his attention on Ciel. William had been right about Sebastian. No matter what Grell did, Sebastian would never feel anything for him other than annoyance or an overwhelming urge to kill or maim...Grell held back a smile as he thought of something. He still wanted a day with Sebastian, but his intentions had changed. Grell tried to figure out how to bring the deal up in conversation, but Ciel beat him to it.

"Where have you been, Grell?"

Casting a quick look at Sebastian, who had gone perfectly still, Grell turned back to Ciel and answered him, "I was recovering from my injuries from the graveyard...and from some I received afterward."

A faintly annoyed look crossed Ciel's face, "When you woke me up that same night?" He disliked being woken in the middle of the night.

The demonic aura had suddenly flared up, and Grell had to brace himself against it. Sebastian hadn't told his master about his midnight wandering, had he? Grell's smiled a sharp smile, to let Sebastian know what he was about to say. The demonic aura increased substantially, to the point that even Ciel had noticed it.

Ciel threw an irked glare at his butler, "Stop that this instant." The aura died down immediately and Ciel, pointedly ignoring the faint traces of anger on Sebastian's face, stared at Grell, "Well?"

Gathering his thoughts, Grell responded, "No, the injuries weren't from then. It was from later that night. Sebastian found me at William's house and, well, I guess I'd say that beating was worse than during the Jack the Ripper one..." Grell watched Ciel's eye widen, then turn to Sebastian for confirmation. When the demon refused to meet his gaze, Ciel whipped off the eye patch, "I order you to tell me."

Sebastian blew out a long breath of air, as though he were trying his hardest not to do anything to hurt those in his presence...temporarily, at least, "I left the mansion as I wanted to dissuade Grell from coming back and bothering us."

_'You mean, bothering you.'_ Ciel thought irritably, before narrowing his eyes at Sebastian, "This is an order, Sebastian. Do not harm Grell again. Also, get out of hearing range so that I may speak to Grell."

Sebastian turned, very reluctantly, and vanished into the surrounding gloom.

When he was satisfied that Sebastian was far enough away, Ciel sighed, "I thought I already ordered him not to hurt you."

Grell shrugged, "He probably interpreted it as not at the moment, as you didn't specify."

Ciel frowned unhappily, and resolved to give clearer instructions in the future, "I'm assuming you came because you changed your mind about being alone with Sebastian?"

Grell's smile threw the boy off, "Oh no, I still would like to have him, but perhaps for just a day. I've changed my mind about what I'd like to do with him."

That stuck Ciel as somewhat ominous, "...and what did you have in mind?"

Grell's smile widened, "Oh...nothing much. I want him to do what I say, so that I can...torture him...a bit. For what he did to me that night."

Ciel smiled faintly, "I suppose I could allow that. You may do whatever you want, as long as it takes, but do have Sebastian come back to me in one piece." Ciel paused, before adding, "More or less. Come see me tomorrow and we'll set down some new rules."

Grell looked excited, but managed to calm himself down and nodded, "Until tomorrow, then." Grell walked away, leaving Ciel alone.

Wait...alone?

Ciel scowled. He would have thought Sebastian would have come back by now, as soon as he had sensed that Grell was leaving. Ciel headed in the direction Sebastian had gone, and was soon rewarded with what sounded like a fight, which included the sounds of scuffling, grunting and pained gasps. Ciel quickened his pace. What the hell did Sebastian think he was doing?

It took Ciel another minute to locate the source of the sounds he was hearing, and stopped in his tracks, utterly shocked. Sebastian was attacking William, and for some reason or another, the reaper's deathscythe was nowhere to be seen. Ciel was unnerved with the look in Sebastian's eyes as he attacked. They held fury, though they seemed distant. Ciel shook himself out of his stupor and, seeing Sebastian standing over the fallen shinigami with an evil smile, yelled, "Stop Sebastian! That's an order!"

Sebastian's hand halted above William's throat, hand twitching against the order.

"We're leaving, Sebastian."

With some difficulty, Sebastian stepped away from the injured reaper, before heading back to the carriage without a backwards glance.

Ciel glanced down at William, before speaking, "Sebastian. Is Grell still around? Will he find him?" Ciel stiffened when Sebastian glanced over a shoulder with a frown and a reluctant "yes." Ciel followed after Sebastian, deciding to not linger, as Sebastian was irked enough as it was. He had to leave the injured shinigami behind.

-x-

Grell was headed back in the direction of his original destination, William's house.

"Good evening."

Grell let out a startled cry and whipped around, to see Undertaker standing there, having apparently appeared out of nowhere from the gloom. To startle him, it seemed.

"Er...good evening...I finished with work early today, so I was going to go see William," Grell said, still a little surprised with Undertaker's sudden appearance.

"I stopped by his house. He wasn' there."

Grell frowned, then shrugged, "Will's probably working late again at headquarters then," Grell perked up, remembering his earlier conversation, "Ah yes! Would you be able to make sure I don't hurt Sebastian too much tomorrow? I'm going to ask Will to come along too."

Undertaker tilted his head, perplexed, "What?"

"Oh! That's right. You don't know about it," Grell launched into an explanation of what he was planning on doing the next day, and why.

Undertaker listened carefully, and once he understood, offered a smile, "I suppose I could help. I haven't had very many 'customers' lately."

"Great!" Grell replied, and was about to ask something else, when a sudden sense of unease washed over him. Grell glanced back at Undertaker, "Do you...feel that?"

Undertaker nodded. His smile had been replaced with a small frown, "Something isn't right, yes."

Grell turned and headed back the way he had come, and heard the Undertaker following him. What was he sensing...and why was it making him uneasy? Grell and Undertaker followed some unknown force, before Grell suddenly stopped in his tracks, Undertaker bumping into him in slight surprise. The two of them had turned a corner, and Grell had seen someone sitting propped up against the wall of a building. Grell approached cautiously, before moving more quickly when he realized that it was William, who was injured (how badly, Grell couldn't tell).

The dark-haired man was unconscious but slowly healing.

"Let's get him home," Undertaker said calmly, prodding Grell out of his shock. Seeing Grell nod faintly, Undertaker picked William up carefully and started to walk again.

Grell followed along behind Undertaker, worried and wondering who could have hurt William.

One hour later...

Grell watched William sleep from next to the doorway to the room, unsure of what he should do. Undertaker had treated the dark-haired shinigami's injuries and they were healing more quickly now...but still. Grell sighed, shaking his head, and walked into the room, going to stand next to the bed. He couldn't do anything to speed up the healing process. All he could do was wait for William to wake up. Grell stared down at William, who had turned slightly in his sleep, a shiver running through him when the blanket slipped slightly. Grell pulled the blanket back into place, feeling useless at not being able to do anything.

Downstairs, Undertaker as lounging on the couch, waiting for William to wake up as well.

-x-x-

A mistake. A miscalculation.

William had told himself and others many times to never let your guard down, especially not around demons. William knew that. He had made sure to always have his deathscythe in hand, especially around _that _demon. One could never be too careful. The one time he hadn't...

Pain. Sudden and unexpected.

William hadn't had any time to defend himself. The violence had come out of nowhere, and somehow, William believed that it wasn't actually directed at him, but rather another reaper that Sebastian couldn't harm at the moment. The demon would have finished him off if Ciel hadn't intervened and had the demon back off.

The demon's taunts had gotten to him, and had left William open to a surprise attack.

-x

William was about to head home, when he saw Sebastian walking toward him. William tensed, "Where's your master?"

Sebastian considered William for a minute before he responded with a frown, "Speaking of something he doesn't wish me to hear."

"Well, go back. I'll not have a demon wandering around by itself at night," William stated.

Sebastian smiled faintly, noticing that the shinigami, for once, wasn't holding onto the deathscythe, "Nighttime wandering is rather nice, as I do not usually feel the need to indulge in sleep." Sebastian paused, then added, with a more pronounced smile, "Is he sleeping? I doubt he'd want to after I paid him a visit." Sebastian gave a low, mocking bow, "I suppose I should thank you for leaving him in such a helpless position. It made it much easier to get my point across."

Sebastian saw William tense up, and offered a smirk, "It was quite enjoyable, the fear...the pain...knowing he couldn't do anything to stop me. The hopelessness of the situation, unable to call for help." Sebastian stopped again, relishing the effect his words were having on William. Sebastian continued on, "Having him writhe while I carved into his chest, the muffled whimpers when I broke bones, the discomfort when I'd whisper and tell him that he was worthless, a failure, unable to do anything correctly...allowing himself to be put into such a vulnerable position." Sebastian stared directly at William with an evil smile, "The despair...the guilt...the fear, and the pain coming from him...it was...delicious."

A cold fury had been building up in William as the demon spoke. So that was what had happened to pain and hurt in his eyes. That explained what he had seen, why Grell had seemed so subdued.

The moment William had dropped his guard, Sebastian made his move, lashing out violently, regardless of not really feeling any particular anger toward this particular shinigami. It would, however, send the message to Grell that Sebastian had no qualms of involving others if Grell continued to insist on trying to see him.

-x

William shook his head, deciding that he didn't want to linger. He forced himself to his feet and walked for several minutes. He needed to get home, get help, before Sebastian figured out how to get around Ciel's order, and go after either him or Grell. William's legs shook with effort and soon, the wounds tired him. He needed a break. William propped himself up against the wall of a building. He'd rest there for a little while, before continuing on his way. He needed to make sure Undertaker and Grell weren't trying to rearrange his desk again. William fought to stay awake, before he finally slipped off, slumping against the wall, into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Working on the next chapter, with some more WillxGrell stuff (that Undertaker won't inturrupt this time). 3 to 4 chapters left, I think. There was some time hopping back and forth toward the end, but hopefully it's understandable. I was going to italizize the flashback, but the font bothers me when I read it, so I left it alone. This chapter is more of a transition into the last couple of chapters.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

William awoke rather abruptly after his dream had changed. Shaking the sleepiness away, William glanced around, relaxing a little. He wasn't outside anymore, and from the look of it, was back in his own home...but how had he gotten there? He had being injured by that demon, and William dimly recalled Ciel ordering Sebastian away from him. William had limped, but after that, he couldn't be sure what happened.

There was soft laughter, then a voice, "Awake already? You got lucky~."

William turned his attention to the door, where Undertaker was standing, smiling, "...". William didn't remember inviting the gray haired man to come to his home so often.

Undertaker laughed again at the look on William's face, "I suppose you're wondering what happened?" Undertaker waved a hand in the direction of the hall, "Grell and I found you unconscious and wounded." A curious gleam from his eyes caught William's, "Was it the butler?"

"...Yes." William looked away, then added, "Though the violence was against me, it was more directed at Grell. I could see it in his eyes. He wasn't seeing me when he attacked...Ciel Phantomhive called him off." William was privately ashamed that he had allowed the demon to get the better of him.

"Hmm, and you moved away from that spot before passing out?"

"..."

Undertaker turned to leave, "Your injuries should be able to heal on their own now, so get some rest," He left the room, leaving William alone again.

William settled back down in bed comfortably and closed his eyes. He might as well get some sleep, seeing as he couldn't move very well at the moment anyway.

-x

William had a few hours of sleep, before he woke up again, momentarily confused as to why he had awoken so suddenly. The first thing he saw was a flash of red, and then the sensation of being hugged, very tightly. Knowing that only one person would dare do this to him, William spoke as he tried to get away, "Grell, let go before you reopen my wounds." William felt himself be let go of quickly, and looked up at Grell, who wore a worried expression.

Grell drew away from William a bit reluctantly, though he did realize that it did hurt to get hugged when wounded. Grell supposed he had hugged a bit too tightly, but he was just relieved that William had woken up so soon. Seeing the state William was in, however, made Grell wonder if William would be well enough to go with him and Undertaker to see Ciel the next day. Grell smiled a bit. He was greatly anticipating what he was going to do to Sebastian when they were all alone. Grell frowned a bit. Would he have to wait again if William weren't well enough by tomorrow?

While Grell was apparently thinking, William decided to resettle on the bed on his back, relieved that it didn't feel like any of his wounds had been reopened. The bed shifted, and William felt more than saw Grell sit down and curl up next to him, the other reaper resting his head on the same pillow. Despite his fatigue and injuries, a thought occurred to William. He turned his head slightly to glance at Grell, "Did you finish your work for the day?" Grell merely laughed, which annoyed William, "What's so funny?"

Grell nuzzled his head against William's, drawing back a bit to leave a kiss on his cheek, "You shouldn't have to worry about work when you're hurt like this."

William turned his head again to fix Grell with a glare to compel him to answer. He twitched when it merely made Grell smile mischievously, "Grell." William said in a warning tone, but fell silent when Grell leaned in closer and gave him a quick kiss, "Yes, yes, I finished the work for today. I was going to do the reports tonight and give them to you..." Grell sat up and glanced down at William, still wearing a smile. William frowned a bit, "Did something happen?" William wasn't sure he wanted to know. The smile Grell wore, he had seen it somewhere before...

Grell twirled a finger around in his red hair as he spoke, "Well...I was on my way back to your house, when I saw Sebastian and the brat. I talked to Ciel, after he ordered Sebastian to be out of hearing range. It was so we could talk about when I could have Sebastian for a day, you see. I told him that it didn't need to be for a whole day, but he said that I could take however long I wanted. As long as I sent Sebastian back to him in one piece. More or less, he said," Grell paused, then added, "I'm supposed to go over to the mansion tomorrow to go over the details." Grell noticed that William had closed his eyes, and was now ignoring him.

Grell smiled in amusement, thinking that William was jealous because he thought he, Grell, was going to do naughty things with Sebastian. That had been his original plan, but no. Not anymore. No, he wanted to get revenge on Sebastian for treating him so badly. Grell stared down at William. First things first, he needed to console William. Grell went still for a moment, before deducing that Undertaker was still downstairs. Smiling, Grell turned his attention back to William, smile turning devious.

Grell moved silently, so that he was laying over William, propped up on his hands and knees. His hands rested on either side of William's head, and his legs were resting against William's sides. Grell was rewarded with a faint crease across William's brow. Grell smiled. At least he had gotten William's attention. The man was probably wondering what on earth he was doing.

-x

William had frowned when he felt Grell clamber on top of him, and felt Grell's hands playing with his hair. William wondered what Grell was up to. Aloud, he spoke, "I thought you were going to go see that demon tomorrow." Instead of a worded response, William heard Grell laugh and lean in to speak.

"After the talk we had the night you brought me to your house and rescued me, I only want you now. Not Sebastian." Grell saw William about to argue and quickly added, "The only reason I'm going to see Sebastian tomorrow is so that I can get back at him, for being so mean to me," Grell glanced down at William, "I was wondering if you'd be well enough to go with Undertaker and I, so that I'm not too harsh to Sebas-chan."

"..."

Grell frowned lightly at the lack of response, and dropped down, resting lightly on top of the other man, pressing his lithe body up against William's snugly, "Are you jealous, William? At what you thought I was going to go do?" Grell saw William appear to think about it, and heard a soft "yes" before arms wrapped around him, trapping Grell against William's chest.

A very, very faint smile appeared on William's face at the flustered look on Grell's face, "I...wouldn't want you to go back to that demon...but if you're going to torture him...I suppose I could find the time to join you," William winced slightly, shifted a bit, then added, "Keep you out of trouble so I don't have massive amounts of paperwork to deal with later."

Grell was very aware of how close his face was to William's. In a quiet, shy voice, Grell spoke up, "Will? You need more rest, don't you? I could leave..." Grell tired to move away, but William pulled him back down and drew him into a kiss.

While Grell was distracted, William flipped Grell over so that he was now pinning Grell down onto the bed. William broke the kiss and spoke softly, "You may stay in the room, as long as you behave yourself."

Grell looked up at William, wearing an amused expression, "Are you going to behave yourself...!" Grell was cut off as he was kissed again, and the red head felt the other start the process of removing his clothing. At a very slow pace, "W...William~. Don't...don't tease me~..."

There was a short silence, in which Grell and William stared at one another. Then, the two of them broke away from one another, shedding their clothes at a quick pace (though in William's case, a little more slowly due to his injuries).

Grell noticed that William was having trouble with his shirt. Grell slid across the bed, and after a silent glance between them, started to help William take it of. Grell gently ran a hand across the bandages there, drawing a faint flinch from William. Grell carefully hugged William from behind, "Sorry, Will...I got distracted. I meant to ask how you got injured."

William rested a hand on top of Grell's, silent for a moment, before responding. He didn't feel too bad about admitting it to Grell. After all, the red head constantly let his guard down around the demon, "I...let my guard down around Sebastian." William felt Grell tense with a sharp intake of breath, and used both hands to trap Grell's, when it felt as though he were going to draw away, and continued to explain, "He taunted me. I should have ignored it, but I fell for it anyway. He was talking about what he did to you when you were tied up."

Grell rested his head against William's back, sighing, "Do you...want me to leave?"

"Why?" William asked, sounded a bit surprised.

Grell closed his eyes, "It's my fault you got hurt. It was because Ciel sent Sebastian away so that we could talk without him listening in. Sebastian wasn't in a good mood. He must have take it out on you, since he couldn't hurt me at the moment," Grell tried to move away, and was able to this time, only because William let go of him abruptly. Grell fell backwards onto the bed with a gasp, "William?" The dark-haired shinigami was pinning him to the bed again.

"It was my own fault for letting my guard down. It's not entirely your fault." William saw Grell's unsure expression and, somewhat irked, said, "Don't think about it right now."

Grell wore a confused expression, until William kissed him again and tarted to remove their pants. Grell did momentarily forget about Sebastian, happy at the moment that William was returning affection, even if it seemed very uncharacteristic of the dark-haired man.

William broke the kiss and muttered, "Keep your flirting to a minimum when we are at work. I will not be having flow blown make out sessions in my office." William locked eyes with Grell's, "Is that understood?"

Grell nodded in response, kissing William lightly on the nose, tone amused, "Still thinking about work, are you?" Any further words were cut off by William going in for another kiss.

-x

Downstairs, Undertaker was resting comfortably on the couch, reading a book (he had fished it out of a pocket). He was more or less ignoring the sounds issuing from upstairs, though the occasional passionate-sounding cries seemed to make Undertaker smile a little wider as he read. It was very interesting...the book, that is.

* * *

I have no idea why Undertaker is so amusing to write (I'm sure your book is interesting, Undertaker-pff). Only a few more chapters to go. I do like Sebastian, but I enjoy writing him more demon-like, because really, I'm sure there's only so much Sebastian will put up with before he starts trying to fix the situation himself (with or without Ciel noticing).


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Later...

Once both the bed and the two reapers were clean to William's liking, the two of them rested on the bed in pajamas. William had carefully laid down on his back, his injuries throbbing from the increase in the amount of activity from earlier. He had momentarily forgotten how injured he was, but once he started, Grell had kept him distracted. It was only when they had finished that William was aware of the wounds and how it was hurting more now that he and Grell were holding still.

Grell was resting on his side, up against William, his head nuzzled against the crook of William's neck and shoulder. He was quite happy now, and was content to stay where he was. Noticing William wincing every now and then, he spoke up softly, "Are you all right, Will? You didn't seem to act like you were injured to me."

William declined giving an answer, mostly because he didn't want to admit that he had forgotten. Nor think about how flexible Grell was. Instead, he turned over on his side and pulled Grell up against his chest carefully with one arm, resting his head above Grell's, "Be quiet and sleep. We're going to the Phantomhive mansion tomorrow, correct? We both need to rest and recover," William pointedly ignored Grell's giggle.

"I suppose you're right, Will~." Grell fell asleep soon after, one arm having worked its way over William's waist, where it rested lightly.

William suddenly recalled that Undertaker was still in his house somewhere. As William drifted to sleep, he wondered vaguely what Undertaker thought about what he and Grell had been doing upstairs.

-x

Undertaker had dozed off on the couch, having fallen asleep while he read the book. He still had a faint smile on his lips.

The next day.

Grell woke up, groggily trying to remember what had happened the night before. Grell, with a blush, remembered, and found that William was sleeping and still holding him in a light embrace. Smiling, Grell leaned in closer and woke William up with a kiss.

William's eyebrows furrowed a bit as he woke up to the sensation of Grell's lips against his own. Sighing, William broke the kiss and turned over stiffly, "Try and restrain yourself, Sutcliff." William mumbled against the sheets. His healing wounds still felt as if he had thrown himself around the bed and against Grell...well, he guessed that did happen, and was therefore the reason why he hurt.

Grell grinned and snuggled up against the dark haired man's back, "I can't, Will. You're so cure when you're asleep." Grell sighed and buried his face against the other's back, "...I'm tired from last night..."

"..." William moved away, getting out of bed slowly and padding around the room in search of his discarded clothing that he had set out for that day.

Grell watched William wander around for a moment, before getting out of bed with a wince and joining him in search of clothing. "You are a meanie. It was just a kiss."

"Quiet. Help me find my clothing." After dissuading Grell from trying anything sneaky while they dressed, William and Grell went downstairs.

Undertaker was waiting for them, lounging on the couch with a wide smile in place, "So, did the two of you have fun last night~?"

Grell made a little 'eee' of embarrassment, while William was quite content to look mildly annoyed.

Not giving either shinigami time to respond, Undertaker spoke again, "So, what are the plans for today?"

Attempting to hide his embarrassment, Grell responded, "I need to speak to Ciel, but I want both of you to be there with me. I'm not sure if Sebastian will try to stop the meeting from happening."

William straightened his tie, "Let us go and get this over with. I need to get back to headquarters as soon as possible. I do not want to know what my desk will look like from being away for over a day."

Undertaker was smiling in amusement at this, while Grell was huffy.

"Why do you still only think about work?" Grell demanded, irked when William said nothing. "Will! It's polite to answer a lady's question."

"..."

"William!"

"..."

Undertaker declined to tell William that he had explained what had happened to the director. The director had distributed William's work to other reapers, agreeing with Undertaker that William needed to take a few days off. The dark haired man needed to recover so that he would be able to work to the best of his abilities. The director hadn't wanted William to make any mistakes because of the injuries and the chance that the pain might make him not think clearly. Undertaker decided to tell William this later. Undertaker followed after Grell and William as they left the house. Grell had finally given up trying to get William to say something as they headed in the direction of the Phantomhive mansion.

Grell had been walking in silence, but kept throwing concerned looks in William's direction, and then finally spoke, "Are you sure you should be walking around? Are you all right?"

"I will be fine," William said in response, "As long as Sebastian will do whatever you want as a part of this 'deal', then it will be all right, even though I do not feel my best."

"Will anything humorous happen there?" Undertaker asked out of the blue.

"Maybe, I'm not sure," Grell said in response to the sudden question, "Though I'm thinking the two of you will probably have to stop me from hurting Sebastian too much. Things might get out of hand quickly."

The three shinigami reached the Phantomhive mansion, where they were greeted by not Sebastian, but Tanaka.

Tanaka gave a bow, "Good morning. The young master said that you would be here soon. Please, come in." The steward waited until all three were inside, before making his way to the staircase, "This way please." As the four walked, Tanaka added, "Ordinarily this would be Sebastian's job, but the young master insisted that he be in the office." Tanaka led them along a hall, before stopping outside the door, "Ah, here we are. Please wait a moment." Tanaka knocked on the door, "Young master, your guests are here."

There was movement on the other side of the door, then Ciel's voice, "Let them in."

Tanaka opened the door and let the three shinigami inside, before bowing, excusing himself, and shutting the door.

Ciel was pointedly ignoring Sebastian, who stood in the corner of the room, and was currently giving the boy a malevolent glare that would surely have scared anyone else witless. Obviously Ciel had ordered Sebastian to not stop him from talking to the reapers. Since Sebastian had made no move toward anyone, Ciel had probably also ordered him not to attack.

William was rather surprised that Sebastian was actually listening to Ciel. Perhaps the boy had given better orders this time. Grell stepped forward to speak to Ciel.

Undertaker was lurking in the background wearing a light smile, turning when the door opened and Meyrin came in carrying a stack of letter. She set them on the desk and turned to leave, only then noticing Undertaker leering at her. Flustered, Meyrin quickly excused herself through incoherent stutters. Undertaker was amused with the reaction.

While Grell spoke to Ciel, the red head was aware that Sebastian was very unhappy, as the demon was not paying attention as he normally would. Instead, Sebastian was currently staring off into space, refusing to make eye contact with Ciel or any of the shinigami. Apparently, Ciel was unfazed by his butler's behavior.

Ciel eyed the two other reapers, and, after casting a look up at Sebastian, who still refused to look at him after his most recent orders, turned his attention back to Grell, "Why are William and Undertaker here?"

"They're here to make sure nothing gets out of hand."

Ciel nodded in understanding, "I see, I'll have to take that into consideration when giving the new order."

Sebastian twitched at this, but continued to ignore all in the room, though what he really wanted to do was to stop this. He wanted to make William and Undertaker leave the mansion, destroy Grell, then discipline Ciel as much as possible without violating the contract too harshly. Sebastian pondered his most recent orders, and debated upon whether or not to threaten Ciel, as the boy hadn't mentioned anything about attacking or threatening him. Sebastian calmed himself and decided that he would wait and see where the discussion led, before he did anything.

Sebastian was, however, already losing patience with Ciel. Really, he had to be a butler of all things, which meant going out and menacing people had to be kept to a minimum. Sebastian had known that when he formed the contract with Ciel, that it would mean limited fighting, but still, there had to be a limit to the amount of humiliation he had to endure. Indulging a reaper was not what he would have ever expected to do. Sebastian's pride kept him from complaining, as he knew that he had a soul he would receive in the end. The humiliation and embarrassing situations, however, were beginning to tire him. Sebastian wasn't sure how much more he could take before he had to do something about it.

Unaware that Sebastian was reaching the end of his patience, Ciel continued his discussion with Grell, glossing over some of the earlier agreements made a month earlier, before going in a different direction and telling Grell that he could use the cellar of the mansion, as it muffled sound.

Sebastian became a bit concerned when he saw the evil smile Grell wore. That was the only way Sebastian could describe the reaper's expression. It wasn't the red head's normally happy, sharp grin, and it was different from the disgustingly loving smile he sometimes gave. No, this was most definitely an evil smile, one that promised pain. Sebastian had to appreciate it, if only because he never thought he's see that kind of smile from the reaper. It was almost a demonic smile that Sebastian himself sometimes would employ.

William was silent through Grell and Ciel's exchange, though he was somewhat concerned with the way Grell was smiling the longer he spoke to Ciel.

Undertaker was looking around Ciel's office, apparently oblivious. Was that an urn in the corner of the room? Perhaps it had biscuits in it. Undertaker smiled lightly as he continued to survey the room.

Ciel cast a sideways glance at Sebastian, stiffening when he saw Sebastian looking at him similarly. It was a calculating look, one that Ciel didn't like at all. Ciel was about to give his butler new orders, when Sebastian made a move to stop him.

Grell, seeing this, dove between the two of them, tensing when Sebastian growled something, fury in his eyes about not being able to do anything to Grell.

Sebastian was about to try to go around Grell, Ciel quickly fled to stand by Undertaker and William.

Grell, smiling, moved away and leaned against the desk, as Ciel glared at Sebastian with both eyes.

"Sebastian, this is an order. Keep your current orders and do whatever Grell tells you to do. You are ordered to listen to him until Grell tells you to come back to me for further orders."

Sebastian stared at Ciel in disbelief, before glowering at him. He had had enough of this nonsense, and he was going to end it now, contract or no. Sebastian took a step toward Ciel, smiling when he saw the little earl tense up. Sebastian was about to reach Ciel, when Grell grabbed one of his arms tightly.

Grell dragged a finger down Sebastian's arm as he kept a tight hold on the arm. Grell smirked at the look of loathing Sebastian threw him,"We're going to the cellar now, Sebastian." Grell smiled a bit more at the look of frustration crossing Sebastian's face.

Sebastian uttered a stream of intelligible curses, but could not disobey a direct order, which frustrated him. He had meant to prevent this from happening, but it seemed he'd have to endure whatever the crazed reaper would come up with. Giving Ciel a look that promised they would talk of this later, Sebastian allowed himself to be led out of the room by Grell, followed by Undertaker and William.

Ciel watched them go, before slumping back down in his chair. When Sebastian came back, the first order would be to not harm him in any way. He did not like the look Sebastian had thrown him. Not that Ciel expected Sebastian to actually harm him, but he wanted to be careful. The next order would be to keep Sebastian from harming the three shinigami. Ciel shuddered involuntarily. He'd have to be specific, as he could only imagine the state Sebastian would be when he came back.

* * *

So, there are two chapters left, and I can either do a short description of Grell 'torturing' Sebastian, or I can do a longer, more detailed chapter with that in it, and that would probably make the story one chapter longer. Or at least make one of the two chapters longer. Yes or no? I think I might do the longer one, but I wanted to ask people's opinions on it. Oh, and hopefully ffn doesn't delete the letters in the chapter again. I've edited this chapter several times already. I hope to update soon. Thanks.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Grell heard Undertaker close the office door, before the red head realized how close he was walking next to Sebastian. The demon's arm was held stiff, as though Sebastian didn't like that the reaper was clinging to him. Grell promptly distanced himself and went ahead of Sebastian, almost as if he could see the look of displeasure on William's face. Grell glanced around the hallway they were walking down, before realizing that he didn't know the way to the cellar. Grell, preoccupied with his surroundings, didn't see Sebastian cast a look between him and William, before facing forward again and hiding a faint smile.

Sebastian continued to walk along, a plan starting to form in his mind. If he could somehow corner Grell, without Undertaker or William interfering, then maybe...Sebastian smiled to himself. He would perhaps be able to manipulate Grell into ordering him to not follow orders from him. Sebastian knew, from looking at Grell, that the red head still felt some type of attraction to him. If Sebastian could use that to his advantage, he could solve his current problem quite easily. It was pathetic, really, that the reaper was still interested in him, however faintly, after what had happened. Sebastian would make Grell regret coming back, after tormenting him a bit by messing around with his emotions.

Grell, unaware of Sebastian plotting ways to escape, turned and smiled at the demon, who was walking behind him, "Lead the way, Sebastian." Grell indicated for Sebastian to go on ahead of him.

William watched as Sebastian appeared to not want to listen, and wondered just how much control Grell actually had on Sebastian at the moment. William supposed that since Ciel had been more specific that it wouldn't be a problem, but still...William adjusted his glasses. It was slightly concerning, as the demon had just looked at him moments earlier, before looking away. It was a calculating look, and if William didn't know better, he would have thought that the demon was planning something. William moved his right hand to rest over his left side. Not all of his injuries had had time to heal, with the amount of force Sebastian had used when attacking. The dark-haired man had to be careful not to move suddenly, lest he reopen the more serious wounds.

Undertaker followed along behind the group, but moved up next to William and cast him a curious look through his bangs.

William appeared to have sensed the gaze, as he spoke in a quiet tone, "I am fine. The injuries just aren't healing as quickly as they normally would."

"Well, the wounds are from a demon. It would be expected that they aren't acting like normal wounds." The gray haired man responded, turning his head to look at Grell and Sebastian, "I think we should still be wary of the butler. He may still try something if Grell doesn't keep his wits about him."

That worried William a bit, especially since he wasn't sure whether Grell was completely over the demon yet. The dark-haired man could only hope that Grell didn't lower his guard too much. William would have to keep a close eye on Sebastian to make sure he didn't try anything sly.

Sebastian hesitated only a moment after Grell had told him to lead the way, before Ciel's earlier orders kicked in and he was forced to listen to the red haired reaper._ 'Enjoy this while you can...there won't be a second time.' _ Sebastian reluctantly moved ahead of Grell, leading the three shinigami in the direction of the cellar. Sebastian wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but knew that Grell's intentions had changed since he had first brought up getting a day alone with him a month ago. Sebastian frowned. It was almost as if...Grell were planning on torturing him or something. Sebastian descended a few steps of the curing stairs, then froze.

Sebastian realized then what Grell was planning, and the reason why Undertaker and William were coming along. Sebastian doubted that they'd be joining in, meaning that they were there to observe things. What had Grell said earlier? Something about William and Undertaker making sure things didn't get out of hand? Sebastian felt a faint sense of unease, but brushed it off. It was nothing to worry about. Hands rested on either side of Sebastian's upper arms, and the demon felt Grell press up against him snugly.

"Why'd you stop walking?" Grell questioned, his breath tickling Sebastian's right ear as Grell rested his head on the demon's shoulder. Grell felt Sebastian tense slightly, and Grell smiled, "What are you thinking about?"

"..." Sebastian longed to strike Grell away from him, but was unable to do so at the moment.

Grell clung more closely to Sebastian as he whispered, "I think I like the idea of you listening to me and doing what I say. It makes you much more appealing." Grell drew away again and spoke, "Start walking, and tell me what you were thinking."

Gritting his teeth, Sebastian resumed moving along, "I believe I've figured out what you have in mind. The young master won't have it." Sebastian fell silent when he saw Grell' smile, and wondered what Ciel was thinking letting this reaper do what he wanted. Sebastian would have said something more, when he realized that he had reached the cellar doors. With a faint sigh, Sebastian opened the doors and went inside, stepping to one side to allow Grell to come into the cellar.

Grell glanced around the spacious room, as Undertaker and William stayed over by the wall near the doors, out of the way. Sebastian stood where he had entered the room, face neutral.

After finishing his survey of the cellar, Grell turned to Sebastian, "Go lay down on the ground by the wall over there."

Sebastian did so with great reluctance. After he had settled down on the ground on his back, he twitched as Grell kicked him in the side. Sebastian glanced up at Grell, and found the reaper wearing a savagely pleased smile.

"Is Sebas-chan ready?" The sharp smile widened.

Sebastian quickly thought of how to turn the tables on Grell. The red head had put him close to Sebastian's legs, so...A thought came to Sebastian immediately, and the demon acted. Sebastian hooked a foot around Grell's closest leg, tugging sharply behind the knee. The movement was sudden, giving Grell no time to regain his balance. With a yelp, Grell fell forward onto Sebastian. Sebastian smirked as he looped his arms loosely around the flustered and surprised reaper.

William saw what happened, and moved forward quickly to deal with Sebastian. Unfortunately, the sudden move caused one of the more serious wounds Sebastian inflicted to reopen. William hissed in pain and dropped to his knees. After he had told himself to not make any sudden moves, here he was doing just that.

Undertaker knelt down to check on the dark-haired man, who was wincing, right hand clutching his left side, "Hold still William or you'll make it worse."

William waved Undertaker's hand away, and focused on trying to dull the pain, so that he could go stop Sebastian and whatever the hell he was trying to do to Grell. William doubted that Grell would have the presence of mind to tell Sebastian to let go of him, as William believed that Grell was still somewhat interested in the demon. William glanced up for a moment to find the demon brushing a hand along the side of Grell's face, and scowled. Damn demon. William dropped his head down as more pain came rolling in, and heard Undertaker telling him to hold still while he found something to stop the bleeding.

Sebastian took advantage of this unexpected event. When Grell looked to the side to check on William, Sebastian tightened his right arm around Grell's back, to keep him against his chest. Sebastian's left hand gripped Grell's head, turning his head to face him. Sebastian saw that Grell's face was a mask of fury at what the demon was doing. Sebastian, however, could tell that there was also worry for William. While Grell was still distracted, Sebastian dragged him into a rough kiss, drawing forth a muffled sound of confusion from the reaper. Sebastian smirked and drew away, resting his lips against Grell's neck, speaking in a low tone, "Letting yourself get caught off guard like this again...foolish." Sebastian let go of Grell's chin and tightened both of his arms around Grell's back, and began to mutter in a barely audible tone. It managed to calm the shinigami down and cause him to lower his guard further. Sebastian smiled. He would spring his trap soon.

-x

Grell was confused. Why was Sebastian kissing him? It made no sense. Sebastian's voice was relaxing him, the murmuring unwillingly lulling him into a sense of calm. Grell felt Sebastian's lips on his, but didn't protest this time and instead opened his mouth to allow the demon to deepen the kiss. It was wrong, but Grell couldn't help himself. He had always wanted to get a kiss from the demon. Once the kiss was broken, Grell was breathless, and somewhat disoriented, when Sebastian began to whisper. Grell could make out what he was saying. Or at least, part of it.

"...would you say 'yes' to what I just said?"

"Mmm...what did you say?" Grell moaned softly against Sebastian's lips, as the demon had just caught him in another kiss.

The demon's voice as low, comforting, "All you have to say is yes. It isn't that much to say...it will make things easier."

William had recovered sufficiently enough to glance over at Grell again, in time to see Sebastian drawing Grell into another kiss, before murmuring something to the obviously flustered red head. A spark of jealously coursed through him, and William got to his feet, ignoring the pain in his left side and Undertaker's sound of surprise as he stood up and approached the other two on the ground. William leaned over, wrenching the demon's arms away from the red head, and drew Grell away from Sebastian. William was momentarily startled at the look of fury in the demon's eyes, as it was directed at him. William assumed that it was because he had stopped the demon from whatever he had been trying to do. William returned the look with an icy one of his own, holding Grell up against him. When William deduced that Sebastian wasn't going to do anything, William turned his attention to Grell, "Grell! Snap out of it!"

Grell had been about to say yes to Sebastian when he had been hefted away from the demon and held tightly. Grell heard William speaking, and though not altogether there, managed to ask, "What?" Grell blinked, realizing as he glanced up that William was holding him tightly against his chest and glaring at something. Grell glanced in the same direction, shrinking against William as he did. Sebastian. Who was currently eying the pair with a malevolent gaze. Grell blushed and buried his face against William's chest, realizing at that moment what Sebastian had been trying to do. Trick him into telling him to not follow orders. Grell realized with a chill that if he had done what Sebastian had said, that it would have put all three shinigami in danger, in a room with an obviously upset demon.

Ignoring the temporarily compliant demon, William glanced down at Grell, who was still huddled up against him. William assumed that Grell had realized what Sebastian had been planning to do, "Grell?" Was he thinking clearly yet, or still distracted by the fact that Sebastian had been kissing him and holding him?

Grell stared up at William, silent, eyes somewhat glazed but not totally lost to reality. Before William could say anything, Grell suddenly kissed him without preamble and Undertaker laughed at both Sebastian and William's expression. The demon was looking annoyed that William was trying to make Grell think clearly, while William wore a faint look of disgust at Grell kissing him after having been kissing Sebastian so thoroughly.

Sebastian watched William mutter something to Grell, who, blushing about kissing the dark-haired man so suddenly, nodded in agreement. When Grell turned to look at him, Sebastian gave Grell a bored look, as if asking when he was going to leave him alone already. Sebastian wondered if the reaper would be more careful now, or if he'd let his guard down again.

Grell stared down at Sebastian, "Stay where you are until I come back and tell you what to do." Seeing Sebastian sigh lightly and lay limp on the ground, Grell turned to follow William out of the cellar, calling over his shoulder, "Can you keep an eye on him, Undertaker?"

"Of course. Hurry up," Undertaker heard the cellar doors close, and turned his attention to Sebastian, "So then butler, do demons feet regret?" There was a slight smile.

Sebastian flicked his gaze in Undertaker's direction, "Not so much. Why do you ask?"

Undertaker paced back and forth, laughing softly, "After what you did to Grell and William, did you anticipate something like this happening?"

"..." Sebastian looked up at the ceiling, "Not exactly this. More unexpected was the young master agreeing to it." Speaking of the young master, Sebastian was going to have a little chat with the boy.

"Hmm...and you're not at all bothered with what Grell is planning?" Undertaker stopped pacing and approached the demon slowly.

Sebastian glanced at Undertaker again, "I doubt he can do anything to..." He fell silent as Undertaker knelt down next to him so that he could see the others eyes, barely. Undertaker's smile was gone, and a more serious expression was on his face as he spoke in a different tone than normal, "I wouldn't underestimate him, Mr. butler. He may not act like it now, but he does have a sadistic side to him. You know that, yes? If you don't think he can make a demon feel pain, then you're in for a surprise. Grell can be serious when he wants to be, especially if you hurt people he cares about." Undertaker stood up and walked away, his voice back to normal, "Anyway~don't be so nonchalant. It'll make things worse for you."

Sebastian felt a little unsettled, but decided that Undertaker was trying to help Grell by intimidating him. Sebastian did know that Grell have sadistic tendencies, but really doubted that Grell could inflict anything too painful. Sebastian didn't think that Grell would be allowed to use his deathscythe, and that was the only thing that Sebastian could think of that could actually harm him. Sebastian closed his eyes. Nothing to worry about. Right now, he would use the quiet time to think about what he and his young master would talk about as soon as they saw one another. Oh yes, it would be a very long discussion.

Undertaker, back over by the doors and resting against the wall, watched Sebastian in silence. _'Hmm...he isn't taking me seriously. Oh well, perhaps I'll see something amusing when he realizes that I was speaking truth.'_ Undertaker chuckled eerily and settled against the wall more comfortably, to wait for Grell and William to return.

-x

Outside the cellar, Grell leaned against a wall and looked at William, "What did you want to talk about?" Grell tensed when William trapped him against the wall, "W..Will?" Grell stared at the dark-haired man, shrinking against the wall at the dark expression William wore. Grell wondered what was wrong, before realizing that he and Sebastian had been kissing in front of William, who was no doubt displeased with the sight...and probably jealous at the intensity of the kisses, "Is this about Sebastian kissing me?" Grell winced as William trapped him against the wall more securely.

"In which you seemed to take quite a lot of pleasure in, seeing as you were returning the kiss so enthusiastically," William responded with a growl, giving Grell a cool glare.

Grell felt William pin him against the wall even further, and quickly said, "Will, be careful with your injuries. One of them reopened, didn't it?"

"..."

"W...Will~ Don't blame me. You know I always wanted to get a kiss from him," Grell paused, aware of how close William was, and added, "It was a pretty good kiss, even if he was only trying to trick me." Grell tensed as William grabbed either of his arms and the red head's eyes slipped close as William drew him into a long, passionate kiss. William broke the kiss suddenly, leaving Grell panting lightly. Smiling, Grell winked at William, "I never said Sebastian...was a better kisser...Will~."

William let go of Grell and turned away, "..."

Grell smiled and hugged William from behind gently, "I'm all right now. I won't let Sebastian do that again...you don't have to go back to the cellar if you don't want to."

William shook his head, "No, I'm making sure you don't make any work for me by going too far."

Grell smirked, "I'm not going to chop him into pieces with my deathscythe. I'm just going to torture him for awhile."

"...You're thinking clearly now?" William questioned softly.

Grell's smiled sharply, "More or less."

William opened the doors to the cellar, "Let's go..." William stopped as Grell caught him in another hug. "Grell?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I might kiss him again, to bother him, and tell him things you might not like to hear...and some other stuff."

"Your point?" William asked stiffly.

Grell trailed a circle around William's abdomen, smiling, "My point is that it might make you jealous~. I'll make it up to you when your injuries have fully healed."

"Let us get this over with." William responded, moving out of Grell's embrace.

Grell held back, looking uncertain. Had he offended William?"

William glanced over his shoulder, "I want to leave as soon as possible. I want to see if you'll keep your word to make up for this."

Grell stared to smile again, "You don't think I will, do you?"

"..." William headed into the cellar.

Grell, still smiling, followed after him. William was so cute, hiding his feelings. William hadn't actually wanted to talk to him. He had wanted him to be away from Sebastian so that he could calm down and think rationally. Grell appreciated the gesture. He didn't want to be dealing with Sebastian if he weren't all there. It would be very dangerous.

-x

Ciel was in his office, starting to have second thoughts. He knew that Sebastian would still follow his orders, but perhaps he wouldn't be nearly as flawless as before for awhile. At least until Sebastian thought he had gotten back at him enough. Ciel sighed. After all, Sebastian still had his soul as payment. The demon would probably wait to torment him until then. Ciel shivered, despite the room being quite warm. Ciel chose to ignore the shiver, writing it off to some unknown draft in the room letting air in. Instead, Ciel wondered how long it would be until Grell would be satisfied.

-x

Sebastian heard Grell and William come back into the cellar. Sebastian had been thinking, but couldn't figure any way out of this unless he could trick Grell again. William had foiled him, and Sebastian knew it was unlikely that Grell would fall for it a second time. Pity. Sebastian racked his brain as Grell approached him, William going over to stand next to Undertaker.

Undertaker looked at William, "Is he all right now?"

William nodded.

Undertaker tilted his head, "What took so long? I can't imagine that it would take that long to calm him down."

"..." William avoided eye contact with the other man.

Undertaker smiled, "Ah! You kissed him again, didn't you?" Undertaker cackled a bit at the look William threw him, "Oh, scary~. No need to worry. I won't say a thing."

"..."

Undertaker smiled more widely, "Oh? You don't think I'll keep quiet? No, no William. It's not my place to say anything..." Undertaker peered through his bangs at William, "Perhaps I'll stop by headquarters occasionally. Maybe I'll see you slip up," Undertaker looked away before William could protest, focusing on Grell and Sebastian, "Keheh...I wonder if this will be a good laugh."

* * *

Yeah, Sebastian was trying to get out of his perdiciment. Too bad it didn't work out. The torture part gets its own chapter. It got stranger as I wrote it, since I was going for a longer scene. The handcuffs totally appeared out of nowhere while I was writing it but eh. Halfway through writing the chapter, I decided that I wanted to make it harder for Sebastian to try and stop Grell. So... I'll probably say that the next chapter is considered M, mostly due to violence and the weirdness of the handcuffs. It'll be a longer chapter as well, with some WxG at the end of it. I have no idea how the next chapter will turn out, as I haven't written something like it before. Unless you count the part in the earlier chapters with Sebastian sneaking in through a window to dissuade Grell. I hope to update soon. (2-3 chapters left) I edited this chapter a lot, by the way, so hopefully ffn doesn't eat some letters away when I post it.


	23. Chapter 23

I am saying that this chapter is M mostly for violence, during the torture part. Then maybe for the WxG bit afterward.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

While Undertaker was busy infuriating William by teasing him about Grell, Grell himself was standing near Sebastian, staring down at him. Grell made sure that he stayed out of the demon's reach. Grell contemplated Sebastian silently for a moment, as the other was staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression. Satisfied that Sebastian would be staying still until told to move, Grell turned and walked over to the right corner of the room. Grell slipped out of his red coat and set it on one of the barrels, out of the way. He didn't want to get any blood on it. The reaper then crouched down next to some barrels, and retrieved a bag that was sitting there. Grell brought the bag near Sebastian, who merely twitched his hand at the appearance of the bag.

Grell spoke aloud, almost as if he could see William's perplexed look, "I asked Ciel to leave tools and…err…arrangements...wherever he was going to let me have Sebastian," Grell smirked, "Sebastian, sit up, and hold still." Once the demon was upright, Grell began the process of removing his clothing. Grell unbuttoned the tail coat and dropped it to one side, the vest following soon after. Grell unbuttoned the white shirt slowly, and brushed it off of Sebastian's' shoulder, one hand ghosting across the bare flesh. Grell focused his attention on the skin for a moment longer, petting it softly with both hands, much to Sebastian and William's disapproval. Once Grell was satisfied, he moved his hands away from Sebastian's chest and spoke, "Lay face down."

Sebastian gave Grell a brief glare, but turned and lay down, fingers tapping the ground lightly, as if to say that he was bored.

Grell bared his teeth at the thought of Sebastian mocking him, before he calmed himself. Rummaging around in the bag, Grell withdrew handcuffs, "Put your arms over your head, wrists together." Grell watched as Sebastian slowly complied, resting his arms above his head on the floor, wrists resting next to one another. Grell moved closer and cuffed each of Sebastian's wrists to one another, then linked a chain through the handcuffs and attached the chain to a peg in the wall in front of Sebastian. Grell ran a hand through Sebastian's hair, "Your master is quite agreeable. Didn't he set up things nicely?"

Sebastian did wonder how much time Ciel had put into having the cellar ready for Grell's use. Was Finny the one who had driven the peg into the wall so deeply that even he, Sebastian, couldn't pull the chain free? Well…Sebastian could have, if he gave the chain a pull with a burst of demonic strength. However, at the moment, Sebastian was unable to do so without being allowed to. Sebastian was therefore unable to use his arms, until Grell decided to release him. Sebastian, as he was waiting, entertained the idea of bringing Ciel down here and leaving him in the cellar for most of the day…gagged perhaps, so he couldn't order him to undo the chains or handcuffs.

Grell rummaged around in the bag again, this time withdrawing a knife. The reaper rested the blade against Sebastian's right shoulder blade, murmuring softly, "Hold still Sebastian."

Sebastian felt the prick of the knife and closed his eyes, wondering how long this was going to take. The knife slowly pierced the skin until the demon felt it graze his right lung. Sebastian frowned as the knife dug first up, then down, in what seemed to be a pattern. Sebastian decided to think about how long it would take his skin to heal from this. Not too long, he'd imagine.

As he watched the blood well up from the injuries on Sebastian's back, Grell decided to ignore the fact that William and Undertaker were in the room. Grell tugged the knife out with a sharp tug from the right side of Sebastian's back, and turned his attention to the left side. Grell would focus only on the demon lying compliant on the ground before him. No one else. Grell dragged the knife lightly from Sebastian's left shoulder, progressively digging deeper as he got closer to the waist. Grell sliced lines of wounds down Sebastian's shoulders and back, down to where the demon's pants were. Grell removed the knife from Sebastian's back after a minute or so, staring at the multitude of injuries he had inflicted. Grell sighed. The blood was welling up and spilling over the demon's back and sides, bathing the demon in that beautiful red color…Grell added a few more gouge marks, before he was satisfied with the damage he had done to the other's back, "Turn over."

Chain clinking, Sebastian turned over, suppressing a wince upon lying down on the freshly inflicted wounds. Not that it actually hurt that badly. It was more uncomfortable if anything. With his own arms tethered over his head, Sebastian tilted his head to see where Grell had gotten to. The red haired reaper was going through the bag again, having set aside the knife. Sebastian turned his head again, to find William watching the proceedings with a neutral expression, while Undertaker seemed to be interested with the cellar itself. Sebastian was fairly certain that Undertaker had been and would be watching. Sebastian was distracted as Grell came back over to him and lay half on top of him. "…" Sebastian stared at Grell haughtily. Either he found a way to stop Grell from doing more damage, or he would have to deal with what Grell decided to do to him. Sebastian was going to have some choice words for Ciel.

Grell rested his upper body comfortably on top of Sebastian's chest, propped up on his elbows, "So, Sebastian…." Grell removed his gloves and ran his bare fingers lightly along the demon's chest, "I'm going to have some fun, Sebastian." Grell moved in closer and laid a trail of light kisses from Sebastian's neck, down along his collarbone, where he bit roughly, drawing blood.

Sebastian twitched as Grell attacked the rest of his collar bone similarly with his teeth, and then wined ever so slightly as Grell bit down harder and moved on to his chest. Sebastian saw Grell draw back after attacking his chest, licking his lips and wearing a wicked smile.

Grell saw Sebastian giving him another bored look, and smiled back, producing a thin dagger from his belt, "I'll wipe that look off your face, Sebas-chan." Without warning, Grell jabbed the blade into Sebastian's shoulder, dragging it slowly from the upper right shoulder, down across the chest and stomach, to the left side of his waist, leaving a thin line of blood to well up along the wound. Grell saw Sebastian's hand twitch as if the demon longed to lash out at him. Grell reached out his left hand, seizing Sebastian by the hair, and twisting the demon's head to the right, exposing his throat and neck. Grell leaned in and left a kiss there, murmuring, "Now hold still, this won't hurt…much." Grell's breath tickled the demon's hair as he drew back, and dragged the thin dagger lightly along Sebastian's throat and neck, smiling as he watched blood appear, "Hmm~. This look suits you, my dear Sebas-chan."

Grell let go of Sebastian's hair, letting the demon's head hit the ground. Grell turned his attention back to Sebastian's chest, stomach, and waist, making patterns of blood as he went. Soon, Grell was satisfied with what it looked like. Grell then turned his attention to Sebastian's arms that were tethered above his head, chained to the wall. Grell covered the right arm in long dagger wounds, and broke the left arm with a few deft movements.

Sebastian took the pain, but was feeling the start of unease, as he noticed that his wounds, other than on his back, were not healing that well.

Grell leaned over Sebastian and ran a hand through his hair again, kissing the demon on the cheek as he whispered, "Having fun yet, Sebas-chan?" Not waiting for an answer, Grell turned his attention the Sebastian's legs, removing his shoes, before teasingly removing the belt and the pants, leaving the demon only wearing undergarments.

William had been watching impassively up until now, without much interest, though he was inwardly flinching at the damage Grell had inflicted so far. When he saw Grell removing Sebastian's pants, he finally spoke up, "Grell. What are you doing?"

Grell responded without turning around, "I'm just going to do his legs. Don't be so jealous. I'm not going to do_ that_."

Sebastian was relieved to hear it. He had absolutely no desire to have sex with the reaper. The mere thought revolted him, and he would have gotten out of it one way or another. Sebastian twitched as Grell traced the thin dagger along his legs, and wondered if he' be able to move right away once all of this was over with.

Once Grell was finished with Sebastian's legs, he let the thin dagger drop out of his hand as he leaned in close to Sebastian's face again.

Sebastian immediately recoiled as Grell kissed him, before realizing that he might be able to disorient the reaper with a kiss. He should be able to do something as simple as that. He was, after all, one hell of a butler.

Grell broke the kiss and murmured, "Too bad, Sebastian, I shouldn't have let Undertaker and William come here…I think I will do something that they will need to stop me from doing…"

For a moment, Sebastian thought Grell had changed his mind about sex, as Grell had dipped his head down and caught him in another kiss, one that started out calm, and then grew more and more intense.

Sebastian decided to up the intensity of the kiss, and ravished the inside of Grell's mouth with his tongue, hoping the reaper would be momentarily dazed after the kiss was broken. As soon as Grell tried to pull away, Sebastian lifted his legs with a jerk, causing Grell to fall on top of him Tthe demon quickly kissed him again, with the same intensity, into which Grell gave a soft moan.

Undertaker stopped William from interrupting, which annoyed the dark-haired man greatly.

Sebastian drew away from Grell, murmuring, "I'm still waiting for a 'yes' to my earlier inquiry." Sebastian fell silent when he heard a short laugh, and the sight of Grell grinning down at him evilly.

Grell smirked at Sebastian as he got off of the demon, momentarily not bothered by the fact that he was covered in Sebastian's blood. Grell held one hand in front of him, out of William and Undertaker's line of vision. Grell glanced down at the prone demon again, "You really didn't' think that I'd fall for that again, did you?" Grell winked, "Thanks for the extra kiss~. However, I think it's time we ended this, don't you?" The chainsaw appeared in Grell's outstretched hand, and the reaper smiled at the look on Sebastian's face, "That's right, I got my deathscythe back." Grell said softy, his other hand reaching up to turn on the deathscythe, "Farewell, Sebastian. You should have known better than to treat a lady so badly. They'll come back for revenge."

The chainsaw roared to life and Grell swung it aloft, before bringing it down in a quick arc, laughing as he did so. Sebastian prepared to dodge as best he could, after seeing the crazed look in the other's eyes.

William and Undertaker were there in an instant, Undertaker blocking Grell's deathscythe with his own and William holding Grell from behind, deathscythe handle held lightly across the red head's throat. The chainsaw had turned off, but Grell was still trying to reach Sebastian, his eyes not leaving the demons'.

Undertaker stared down at Sebastian, who returned the look with one of immense unconcern. Undertaker chuckled, "You can act as calm and collected as you like, butler, but for a moment, you thought you might get chopped up, right?"

Sebastian's eyes glowed a bit, but calmed, lying where he was and waiting to be let go of already.

William turned Grell around and shook him, though Grell had moved his head to continue to glare at Sebastian, "Grell Sutcliff, did you even give thought to how much work you could have given me just now?"

Grell's head turned back, and his eyes stared at William's, until the pupils went to normal size and Grell took a shuddering breath, "I…I…no, I wasn't. Sorry, William."

Satisfied that Grell was back in reality (mostly) William cast a look down at Sebastian, "Are you done with the demon yet?"

Grell turned a malevolent glare on Sebastian, "Nearly." Grell felt the chainsaw tugged from his loosened grasp, "Hey!"

William let go of Grell and glanced at Undertaker, who had grabbed Grell's deathscythe.

Undertaker smiled and went back to rest against the wall, "I'll hold onto this until you're done."

"Hurry up," William all but ordered, though as he said so he had drawn Grell into a hug regardless of the blood on him.

Grell gazed at William calmly, "I would, but you're stopping me. Any particular reason?"

William glanced down at Sebastian, before letting go of Grell, "I'll tell you once you're done with him."

Grell, a bit confused, nodded, and, regaining his smile as he walked back over to the bag, pulled out a whip, "Stand up now Sebastian."

Sebastian managed to stand up without much trouble, though his handcuffed hands were proving a little difficult. Sebastian rested his arms in front of him, feeling his wounds aching, and feeling the healing process…or at least…the injuries should have started to heal. It still only felt as if the wounds on his back were healing, the others healing at an abnormally slow rate. Sebastian winced as the whip struck him across the back, drawing out more blood.

"Over there. Put your hands on the wall." Grell indicated the wall above the chain that was attached to the stone wall.

Sebastian did so, though his left arm couldn't be held up very well. At least the handcuffs made it stay up when he rested his right hand against the wall. Sebastian spoke as Grell whipped his back, "What did you do to the dagger you used last?"

There was a final, painful lash, then a command, "Turn around."

Sebastian turned, chained hands held up over his head against the wall, as he leaned against it. Sebastian braced himself as the whip struck across his chest.

Grell twirled the whip thoughtfully as he spoke, "I had the dagger modified, so that it would interfere with the healing process of demons. It should wear off in a few hours."

The whipping was not very interesting to William, though it was unnerving to think if Grell were only sadistic when it suited him. In any case, it seemed like Grell knew what he was doing. William found himself thinking about what would happen if he allowed Grell to chain him to a bed, before promptly stopping that thought.

Undertaker, seeing William's expression, smiled widely, "I can lend you two a coffin. Being in an enclosed space can be very…stimulating~."

"No." William said bluntly, but Undertaker, still smiling, kept talking.

"Want to borrow some handcuffs? I keep a supply in my shop~."

William gave Undertaker a funny look.

Undertaker chuckled, "Really, William, do you think that I would have something like that?" Seeing the look of doubt William threw at him, Undertaker smiled widely, "My, what naughty thoughts. You need to take care of that, before your imagination gets any bigger."

William looked away, hiding the faint blush at the thought of what he and Grell had done earlier.

"Ahh…I had hoped for a better laugh."

William turned and saw Grell standing in front of Sebastian, unchaining him.

Sebastian was silent as Grell undid the handcuffs. He hadn't expected Grell to be so ruthless, but at least Undertaker and William stopped Grell from using his deathscythe on him. Sebastian didn't want to think about what would happen if he were attacked enough with a deathscythe. Sebastian supposed that Grell could have been even more violent, but at least it seemed as if Ciel had set some boundaries down earlier. He was still going to have a little chat with his young master once the wounds were fully healed. A day at most, it seemed. Sebastian heard Grell say something, and gave the reaper a blank look.

Grell wore a satisfied expression as he ran a hand through his hair, "Go back to your master and wait until he gives you further orders." Grell watched Sebastian silently, inwardly a bit worried that the demon wasn't going to listen. To his relief, Sebastian did, though he didn't look particularly happy about it.

Sebastian wore a faint scowl but managed to stay on his feet. Sebastian walked away, able to not show how much Grell had managed to injure him. Sebastian was pleased that he could still walk in a dignified manner, with only a faint limp where one of his legs was still healing itself back to normal. From the feel of it, it would take hours for the regular wounds to heal, and most likely a day for the other wounds that had been cut with the blade that had magic that interfered with his natural healing process. Sebastian walked past William and Undertaker without looking at them, ignoring the gray-haired man's odd giggle.

Once Sebastian was heading up the stairs, William went over to Grell and steadied the red-head, who looked about ready to fall over.

Grell laughed shakily, "I...I feel better now...but, what if Sebastian comes after me again?"

William held onto Grell in a loose hug in an attempt to keep the other upright as he responded, "You won't have to worry about it for awhile. Ciel Phantomhive said he was going to tell Sebastian to leave us alone unless we initiate the contact," William shook his head, "It's better than nothing. I doubt the demon will stay away forever. He may try to come after us after his contract is over. Any order would be made void."

"When did he say that?"

"In Ciel's office, when you were distracted by staring at the demon and he was glaring back at you," William responded in a clipped manner.

Grell smiled slyly, pointed teeth showing slightly, "Maybe Sebastian will change his mind about how he feels about me when the contract is over. I wouldn't say no to another kiss~."

William released Grell from the hug and backed away a bit, putting his hands on either side of red head's shoulders, and, once Grell was looking at him, spoke, "…So, was that demon's kiss better?"

Grell stared at William for long moment, before he broke into a grin, "Oh Will~. You are so adorable when you're jealous," Grell braced himself as William pinned him against the wall, "Wi...Will! What are you...?"

"…" William unbuttoned Grell's vest and shirt, shedding the red head's blood stained clothing and dropping it as he moved closer, handcuffing Grell as he did so.

Grell shuddered at the sudden exposure of his upper body, and from being restrained, "William?"

William tugged the chain that was still looped around the handcuffs to prevent Grell from trying to grab him, before he proceeded to kiss the red head senseless.

Undertaker, seated nearby, had produced an urn, and was munching away on biscuits as he watched the two shinigami. It was an interesting display. He wouldn't have thought William would be interested in restraining Grell in that way.

"Wi...Will~." Grell moaned softly against William's lips, tugging his handcuffed and chained hands uselessly. His arms had been tugged over his head and Grell felt William pulling the chain tighter to prevent his arms from moving.

"…" William used his free hand to pull Grell into another kiss.

"…mmm~William's a good kisser…" Grell murmured, as William attached the chain to a higher peg in the wall, to keep the red heads arms over his head. "Will…why's your hand down there?" Grell questioned, as one of William's hands had move down to rest lightly against Grell's right hip.

"…" William undid Grell's belt, hand dipping in to rest against the inside of Grell's thigh as he made as if to pull the pants down.

"Will! Not here!" Grell begged, twisting slightly, his blush more apparent as William dropped the pants down without a word.

"…"

"Wi…William~." Grell panted, hands twitching against the handcuffs, "S…Stop teasing me!" Before he could protest more, William cut him off with a kiss and moved his hands again.

Grope.

"Uwahahahahahahahahaaaa!"

Grell broke away from William's kiss, and the dark-haired man's hands left Grell's body as the two reapers turned in time to see Undertaker dissolve into helpless laughter, squirming around on the ground and shaking in mirth.

Undertaker shook with laughter, gasping as he spoke, "Ah~you two always give me...such good laughs. Heehee~." Undertaker waved a hand at them, "Oh, don't mind me. Please, continue. Hee~."

William sighed as he freed Grell's hands from the handcuffs, before turning to glower at the gray-haired man.

Grell, after puling his pants back up and belting them, retrieved his red coat and shrugged into it, before going over to William and leaned up against his right side gently, watching Undertaker roll around on the ground, still snickering away. Grell pouted, "He needs to stop interrupting."

"…Hmm…" William responded, right arm looping around Grell's lower back.

Grell snuggled closer, and, after a moment, asked, "So, William, I didn't know you wanted to handcuff me." Grell bumped his hip against William's lightly, "Want to try again later?" Grell whispered in what he thought was a seductive voice.

"…"

Undertaker tittered as William dragged Grell back over to the wall and handcuffed him, reaching for his pants again. Undertaker took pity on the blushing Grell and spoke, "William, you should get home and rest before you engage in any...interesting activities."

William sighed, but let go of Grell, and started to walk toward the cellar doors.

Grell followed after him, once he had freed the cuffs from the chain, complaining, "William~. Take the handcuffs off." He let out a startled yelp as William looped a hand around the chain that connected the cuffs and pulled Grell up against his left side. It had the desired effect, as it had gotten Grell to be silent. Grell laughed softly and stuck close to a straight-faced William, who acted as if he hadn't done anything at all awkward in the past few minutes.

Undertaker followed the two other shinigami, his face still plastered with a smile.

* * *

What on earth did I just write? :D It was...interesting to do though. I have no idea how it turned out, so let me know if the torture part was too much/too little. First time actually writing something like that. On a side note, Undertaker's bits in the chapter as well as a bit of WxG at the end were highly entertaining for me to write. I love Undertaker, he's such a weirdo. One chapter left I believe.


	24. Chapter 24

I might add another chapter sometime in the future if I think of something, but for now this is the last chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

The three shinigami didn't linger at the mansion. Undertaker led the way up the stairs from the cellar, chuckling softly to himself, as William and Grell followed after him. Grell was still handcuffed, and was currently trying to get William to take it off, promising to not run away.

"William, take them off, please?" Grell pleaded, poking William's shoulder with his cuffed hands, "I'll be good."

William moved away a little and said, "No." He didn't want Grell clinging to him at the moment.

"Why not?" Was the whiny response.

"I'll tell you later, be quiet Grell." William responded as he followed after Undertaker through the mansion's front doors.

Grell followed after him in silence, wearing an unhappy pout at not being able to move his hands freely. Why would William want to leave him like that? Grell pondered the thought for a moment, before he started to grin. Grell moved a little more quickly to catch up with William, and leaned up against him lightly, "Does William want to be naughty when we get back home?"

Undertaker paused to stare at the sky, while behind him Grell and William had another mini argument regarding the dark-haired man's decision to keep him handcuffed.

William found himself backed up against the now closed mansion doors, as Grell pressed closer to him with a smile. What was he doing?

Grell grinned a bit at William's tensed posture against the doors, and found it amusing that William was being all defensive. After all, William wasn't the one with his hands restrained. Grell moved a bit closer so he could lean up against the other man comfortably, "Will~iam. What's wrong? You don't look too good right now." Grell smiled toothily, "Was it something I said?" He poked William's closest arm with both hands.

William grabbed Grell's cuffed hands and pulled them away from his body, so that Grell couldn't touch him. William ignored Grell's unhappy whine, and spoke, "Can you behave yourself until we return to my house?"

Grell looked at William for a moment, then said, in a mischievous tone, "Then I can misbehave when we get there?" Grell let out a little yelp as William moved away from the doors and walked down the stairs, one hand dragging Grell along by the handcuffs. Grell stumbled for a moment before getting his footing, and managed to keep in step with William. Grell was about to say something to him, when the red head felt as though someone was watching him. Grell cast a casual glance over one shoulder, back at the mansion. Grell tensed, once he saw Sebastian, who was wearing a white shirt now, glaring down at him from the window of Ciel's office. Grell recovered from the surprise he felt, and returned the demon's glare coolly, before turning and resting his head against William's shoulder, grasping the dark-haired man's right arm with his cuffed hands.

-x

Sebastian watched the reapers leave, deciding that at least he didn't have to deal with them for awhile. That was fine with him. He could now focus on his duties as butler. Sebastian smiled faintly, not facing Ciel at the moment. He was now free to exert some 'punishment' on his young master, for the boy subjecting him to Grell's whims.

Ciel was seated at his desk, eying Sebastian's back warily, as if he expected the demonic butler to try something. He had seen Sebastian's unhappy expression when he had come back from the cellar, and it was all Ciel could do to not wince at the damage Grell had done. At least Sebastian wore pants when he came into the office, but had been pulling the white shirt as he had entered. Without knocking. That made Ciel a little uneasy, and he was careful when giving Sebastian orders. After all, Sebastian had been giving him an unfriendly look. After the orders had been said, Ciel couldn't resist telling Sebastian that he looked awful. The glare sent his way made Ciel quickly drop the subject, and the window became a new source for the demon to glare daggers at.

"Young master..."

Ciel broke out of his thoughts, and slid back in his chair when he realized that Sebastian was leaning over the desk, invading his personal space. When he decided that Sebastian wasn't going to get any closer, for now, he spoke, "Yes, Sebastian?" The smile Ciel received made him concerned, but managed to not show that it bothered him.

Sebastian wore a closed eyed smile, "I must applaud your orders, it seems as though you thought them up very thoroughly. However, may I point out one small thing that you neglected to say?"

Ciel eyed Sebastian suspiciously for a moment, thinking back to what he had told Sebastian. He didn't think that there would be a loophole, with all that he had ordered, but Ciel knew that Sebastian was able to find them if he felt like it. Plus the order of not lying to him made Ciel believe that Sebastian had indeed found some small mistakes in his orders. That being said, did he really want to know what Sebastian had figured out?

Sebastian watched the boy think, and smiled thinly to himself. Children had a lot of curiosity, which meant that Ciel would want to know, sooner or later, "Young master?"

Ciel sighed. Now he was curious. Sebastian had probably been betting on that. Hopefully he wouldn't regret this, "Well, what is it, Sebastian?"

Sebastian's eyes opened as he smiled at Ciel, "Well, young master, you see..."

Ciel watched Sebastian expectantly.

The demonic butler, however, had merely smiled, "It's nothing to worry about, young master."

Ciel gave Sebastian a suspicious look, but then suddenly started to feel drowsy. Why was that? It didn't make any sense. Ciel heard Sebastian say something, but fell asleep.

-x

Ciel woke abruptly, and frowned. Had he taken a nap? Ciel shook his head a little, trying to move but found that he couldn't move very far. He was likely in the cellar, or at least he thought he was, owing to the fact that he appeared to be in a barrel for some reason or another. Maybe he was still dreaming. Ciel twisted a hand to pinch himself, not giving thought at the moment as to why he had to work so hard to move a hand.

Pinch.

Ciel winced. Nope. Not a dream. Ciel scowled. This had to be Sebastian's doing. Ciel reached a hand up to pull the eye patch off and give Sebastian an order, but found that his hands had been tied behind his back. Why had he tied him up? Well, Ciel supposed it was because the demon didn't want him to order him to get him out of the barrel.

Twitch.

"Sebastian! Get down here right now and untie me, you bastard! You think this is funny? I have work to do! I know you can here me!"

Sebastian, hidden in the shadows nearby, decided to let Ciel stay there for a little while while he prepared dinner. Perhaps then the young master would think before giving an order. Sebastian walked off amid Ciel's angry complaints.

"Dammit! Sebastian! You're going to regret this! Let me out now!"

His calls were met with only silence, before it was followed by a curious 'meow'?

"SEBASTIAN!"

-x

There had been no mishaps on the way to William's house, though once inside the house, Undertaker decided to break the news about taking a few days off to William.

William had just unlocked the door and walked inside, frowning as Grell moved past him excitedly, apparently ecstatic about being back in the house. William was about to go and drift off to his office, when Undertaker spoke up.

"Ah yes, William, I forgot to tell you something earlier."

William stopped walking and turned around to regard the gray-haired man. After a moment he spoke, "Yes?"

Undertaker smiled cheerfully at him, "I spoke with the director earlier, and he and I are in agreement that you should take a few days off to recover from your injuries. We didn't want you to make any mistakes when you were in pain." Undertaker kept smiling, and seeing William's unhappy frown, wagged a long-nailed finger at him, "Now, now, no need to get upset. You just get some rest and heal those injuries. I'm sure Grell will make sure that you do so."

William was very unhappy about this announcement, not liking the idea of not being able to work for a few days. He also ignored Grell who had latched himself to his arm again, smiling.

Grell merely clung to William more closely, when it seemed like William might walk off to his office even after what Undertaker had told him. Grell's hands weren't restrained anymore, as William had taken the handcuffs off earlier, no longer able to stand his complaints anymore. Grell was amused that William seemed to be upset about basically getting a mini vacation. Grell would have loved to get more vacation time instead of working so often like he usually did.

Undertaker merely smiled again when William tried to argue, "The director agreed, William, that you need some time off to heal, so there you are. Be good and rest now," Undertaker headed for the door, giving William no time to think of another argument, "I'll come by tomorrow to check up on you two. Don't have too much fun now~." Undertaker left the house, leaving William and Grell alone.

There was a short silence.

Grell saw William glancing longingly in the direction of the office in the house, "You don't have to worry about work for at least two days, three if you can handle it. Bed, now," Grell gently chided, using his freed hands to grab William's. When William didn't move, Grell leaned over and left a quick kiss on his cheek, winking at the other when he turned his head to look at him, "Come on, Will."

William thought to argue, but, still feeling his injuries healing, relented and allowed Grell to lead him to his bedroom. He really was too tired to tell Grell off at the moment. Sleep actually did sound like a good thing. He definitely needed it. William opened the bedroom door and glanced around, trying to decide if he really wanted to change clothing or just sleep in the clothes he was already in. Casting a casual glance in Grell's direction, he decided it would be safer to stay in his current clothes. Grell was starting to grin again, and William didn't want to encourage him by changing into something else. Besides, it was only three in the afternoon. It'd just be a nap.

Grell watched William with a toothy grin, seeing that the dark-haired man was considering his dresser with a frown, as if unsure whether he wanted to change clothing or not. Grell's grin turned into a devious one as he snuck up behind William and leaned up against him comfortably, "William~. Do you need some help?"

William moved away from Grell as he headed for the bed, "No, Grell."

Grell pouted for a moment, before he started to smile and went over to William again, grabbing him by the arm before he could lay down.

"Grell..."

"Will, there's blood on your clothing. Do you really want to lay down on a clean bed and get blood stains on it?"

William gave a light sigh as he turned and headed for the dresser. He really didn't want blood on his sheets. It would never fully come out. William rummaged through the dresser, before looking at Grell hovering nearby. An eyebrow raised, "You'll need to change as well. You are covered in more blood than I am." William eyed Grell's hair, "You'll have to wash your hair out too." That distracted Grell, who fretted about how long it would take to dry afterward.

"Will! Do you have any idea how long it takes for me to dry my hair?"

William was unsympathetic as he selected a shirt and pants, "Either clean up or you're not going anywhere near my bed."

Gell's protests died as he thought about what William said, then went into the nearby bathroom without a word.

Well, no words were needed, William supposed, as Grell had sent a suggestive look over his shoulder and wiggled his hips a bit as he basically strutted to the bathroom. William frowned. No man should have been able to wave his hips like that. Damn Grell for being able to make himself look appealing even when covered in dried blood. William shook his head and turned his attention to the clothing he had picked out.

William heard some water running, so he decided that it was safe to try and get his outfit changed before Grell came back out. William fought to get the clean shirt on around his injuries, and had just finished buttoning up the shirt when Grell came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another towel which he was using to try and get his hair dry. He eventually gave up and tossed the towel aside, shaking damp hair out of his face as he looked to see where William had gotten too. William saw a tooth filled smile as Grell approached him, and wondered whether or not to tell Grell off. After all, he really shouldn't be trying to do anything with his wounds...

"Will~." Grell said as he sat down on the bed next to the dark-haired man, and leaned up against him, "Did you change already?"

"..."

Grell tilted his head and looked up at William's face, "Are you all right?"

"..."

Grell was about to say something else when he was cut off by William grabbing him by the chin and kissing him.

William released Grell from the kiss after a moment and looked away. He felt Grell's hands playing with the belt of his pants, and grabbed Grell's hands, "Grell Sutcliff, I am going to sleep. Nothing more today. Go find something to wear."

Grell let out an unhappy sigh, but got up off the bed and went through William's dresser. He wasn't exactly happy with what he found, but after a moment of staring at the boring clothing, he pulled out a pair of pants and a white nightshirt. Grell disappeared into the bathroom again, and then returned wearing the clothing, batting his still wet hair irritably.

William found the sight faintly amusing, and was about to settle down in bed when Grell stopped him, smiling again, "What are you doing?"

"Will didn't change out of his pants yet." Grell's smile turned mischievous.

William glared at him, "It is fine as it is, Sutcliff." He had removed the belt when Grell had been in the bathroom a second time in an attempt to make it look as though he had changed. Too bad Grell was good at catching minute details like that.

Grell ignored William and in a few short moments had changed the pants and curled up against William, huddling beneath the blankets as he did so.

William didn't feel in the mood to deal with Grell's smug expression, so he turned him over and pulled him up against his chest, "I want to get some rest. I know you need some more sleep as well, so don't try anything when I'm asleep." He heard the red head giggle, but other than that he was silent. William closed his eyes to fall asleep, but failed miserably due to the fact that Grell was so close by. Thoughts of what happened earlier at the mansion crossed his mind, and he tried to push those thoughts away.

Grell, of course, seemed to be able to pick up anything that was going on near him, "Are you sure you don't want to play, William?"

William tightened his arm around Grell's waist so that the other man couldn't turn over and sighed lightly. Maybe he should pretend that Grelll was a warm pillow. That might help.

Grell was amused with William but didn't say anything else. He let his mind wander for a moment, and wondered what Undertaker was up to when he had left. Probably went back to his shop to work again. Talking to the corpses as he did. Grell shuddered a bit. It was kind of creepy, but then Undertaker was too. It just seemed like he got a kick out of weirding anyone out that he could. Grell smiled a bit when William pulled him closer, moving the blankets so that they were both covered.

Grell decided that perhaps he should get some sleep, but was also wondering what Sebastian was going to do, if anything. Supposedly he couldn't do anything to them for awhile. Maybe he'd go after the brat. Grell entertained the idea for a moment before dismissing it. It wasn't his problem anymore.

Grell, oblivious to what Undertaker and Sebastian were up to, started to drift off, deciding sleepily that he wanted to stay with William for as long as he possibly could. He knew now that William cared about him, in his own way, despite not being very good at expressing how he felt. Grell appreciated the fact that William appeared to be making an effort for him. Grell fell asleep, thinking that tomorrow he'd try and get William to come over to his house, so that they could be alone. After all, William wasn't supposed to be working tomorrow.

William could tell that Grell had fallen asleep after a few minutes, and stared at the back of his head. Oh, he was wearing his glasses. William thought to take the glasses off, but didn't want to wake Grell up in the process. Shaking his head, William rested his head on the pillow next to Grell's. The other reaper used something in his hair so that it smelled far more pleasant than the blood that had been in it before. William let out a soft groan and closed his eyes. He was trying to not think about Grell so he could fall asleep.

Maybe William would let Grell decide what they did tomorrow, in exchange for letting him get at least an hour or two of work done.

* * *

I finally finished a chapter story! It would be appreciated if you'd let me know how the story went, so if I write something this long again, I'll know what I can improve on the next time.

Other than that, thanks for reading.


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